The Dangerous Corner
by SandPrincess13
Summary: He said he's the shadow no one can touch. She's the person hell bent on crushing him. What can she do when he's not running from her, but coming closer... A tale of hate, revenge, guns, mobs and a bitter-sweet road to Hell. AH/OOC
1. Preface

_A/N: Hey this is my new story *rolls eyes*... Yeah I know you can see. I've had this little plot bunny at the back of my head and couldn't shake it out, so I just wrote it. Thanks to the ladies on Facebook and my lovely beta/pre-reader Shasta53 for encouraging me to actually post it, and thanks to Archer Ashenbert (RL) for supporting my love for the Mafia! _

_All human. Guns. Mobs. Hate. Revenge and a bitter-sweet journey to Hell. (And of course owns the characters! Oh and before I forget, I am slightly inclined to SRK, so don't mind me!)_

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**The Dangerous Corner**

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**Preface**

I spotted a middle-aged man in a distance, sitting on one end of the seesaw and glancing at me occasionally. The park was empty, fortunately with no possibility of interference. It was still snowing quite badly, and I thanked God for it. I didn't have to endanger the lives of innocents this way. I quickly repositioned my hand so that it was easier to pull out my gun if the man tried to attack. His eyes were glued to my hands and he, too, pulled his hand inside the pocket of his jacket and prepared to take a shot. I calmed my nerves when I saw his hesitation. His muscles were tensed like he was holding onto the gun for dear life. He thought he could shoot me if he had to, but I knew better. He pulled his hand out of his pocket when he noticed my hand coming back to his view. He sighed in relief and kept staring at me. I glanced around the park, unnerved by his unwavering stare, searching for possible escape routes if any attack began.

My latest hit knew that I was coming for him and that made him want to finish me off even before I came close. I had been protecting my back for the past week, unable to concentrate on killing him, but today his hide-and-seek game would end.

I saw the man shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He was staring past me. His eyes widened for a bit and then he quickly turned to leave. I stiffened immediately and took in deep breaths to be ready for the pain. It never came. I was stunned into silence when I heard a familiar voice. No, not just any voice, but the voice of the man I had come to loathe with all my existence.

"Bella?" his voice was soft, almost a whisper. I didn't turn, trying to keep my heart in control as it thudded loudly against my chest. I took in a deep breath, and ignoring my heart, I turned to him with the coldest expression that I could manage.

I was shocked to see his face. It was still perfect with sharp features and undeniable beauty, but he seemed … younger. Though I hated him ardently, I couldn't help than be in awe of him. His velvety voice pulled me out of my thoughts again.

"Where have you been all this time?" he asked, false concern lacing his words. He was a perfect actor. Even if he spoke to someone with a smile, everyone knew that he was going to use him or her; his heart was cold and black.

I shrugged indifferently, making him wrinkle his nose.

"Where did you go?" he tried again, and I let out a snort. His eyes burned with curiosity as he locked his eyes with mine and tried to get his answers. I had learned with time how to keep him out of my head and not let anything related to him affect me, but facing him was so much harder. I could feel my shield crumpling as he kept on searching.

"Damn it!" I smiled victoriously to myself as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Speak to me!" he shook me and my composure broke. I saw red as I pushed him away from me and ground my teeth together to keep from shouting at him.

"None of your bloody business." An unknown emotion crosses his features, but before I could recognize it… it was gone. A cocky grin spread across his face and the only thought that came to my mind was that I was up for some serious torture.

"You haven't changed one bit, my kitten." His grin widened. Two memories from years before flitted through my mind. One made me want to rip his head apart and the other to kiss his smile right off his face, but ripping his head seemed to be more satisfying.

"If you call me that one more time, I will chop off your balls and feed them to your watch dogs, _Anthony_." He didn't comment because he knew I could do it. His eyes softened a bit and he pulled me into an embrace.

"I'm not Anthony for you, Bella. It's me … Edward."

I knew he wanted me to call him by his real name, but my cold heart forbade me from giving him any kind of comfort. I wanted to hurt him as much as I could; he was a criminal in every-ones' eyes, including mine.

I was too shocked to speak as he held me tightly against his chest. My body went limp, and my eyes blurred. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. I took in another deep breath and accumulated all my control and pushed him away. He didn't let go, but I struggled until I broke free from his arms. He dropped his eyes to the ground and smiled. He was too confident, and I wasn't ashamed to say that I liked it.

I clenched my hands into fists as I tried to refrain from jumping him. I thought before I spoke out the words.

"I'm no different from any of those other people in the world. You prefer to be a man who is feared of. You are Anthony, a criminal that needs to be punished." My harsh words didn't make an effect on him, but he laughed wickedly.

"Still the same," he whispered and leaned down to kiss my cheek.

The sound of footsteps made me crouch into a defensive position with my gun waiting to be pulled out and used. I growled at him as I pointed the gun to his head.

"I knew it!"

"I don't think you see the clear image, Bella. They are trying to kill _us_," he said flatly. I groaned and looked him at the eyes. We both nodded in agreement as we silently decided between the two of us.

Both of us turned at the same time and our backs met. I pointed the gun at each of the men one at a time, making sure I got the ranges right.

"Seven against two?" the man who seemed to be the leader of the party spoke.

"Seems hardly fair for you," The cockiness was back in Edward's voice, and I couldn't help, but smile.

They all scowled at us, preparing to shoot.

"Now!" I heard him say and I aimed for their heads. I pulled the trigger three times, one after the other and saw the men fall heavily to the ground and coloring the white snowy ground in red. I heard four shots from behind me, and I knew that it was over.

Both of us turned to look at each other, just to check if the other was breathless, but we both smiled as we saw each other, clearly happy to have finished the job.

"Good shot," he said impressed.

"I have only ever missed one." The crooked grin spread over his face.

"You didn't fire that time." He leaned down brushing his lips across my neck, "We're still good together, my kitten." My lips tugged down into a grimace as his words pierced me like a thousand knives, and I hissed under my breath. I was not going to take any of that crap from him anymore about being together. He was either trying to make me mad or intentionally trying to delude me into believing that he didn't want to use me for his benefit.

"We were never together in the first place, Anthony." My voice seemed dead even to me. He faked a flinch, and I rolled my eyes. His acting meant nothing to me, but deep down I wanted him to suffer and make him feel something.

Pain.

Hate.

Love.

Passion?

Anything.

I would take anything he would offer. I had loved him once, and even if I denied the fact that I wasn't that girl, I couldn't escape the reality. I was that girl who couldn't shoot at him when her father was going to die. I was still that girl who would dive into the fire just to save him even if it meant that I had to ruin my chances of having a life.

Yes. I was pathetic.

"Maybe I have changed!" His eyes shined with humor as he spoke the words. I let out a guffaw, making him burst into a fit of laughter.

"Even if you try …" I began. Despite knowing that I didn't have to reply to his ridiculous words, I did. "A donkey remains a donkey and never miraculously turns into a horse."

"Really?" He grins mischievously.

I pointed the gun right at his head, making his eyes sparkle with amusement.

"Are you going to shoot me, baby?" I was seething by the time he finished the sentence. I pressed the gun harder to his forehead and tightened my hold on the trigger.

"Maybe I will," I said through my teeth. A devious smile replaced the amusement and before he could retaliate at me, the threat came out hastily. "Don't tempt me."

His eyes locked with mine for another long second and then he placed his hand right over mine and pulled it where he could clearly see it. He pressed his lips lightly on my wrist and then his eyebrows knit together in concentration. He recovered quickly and didn't even let me prepare for what came next. His hold on my wrist tightened and a dull ache spread across my arm.

"What the fuck is this?" His voice was deafening in the silence that surrounded us. I didn't even blink, but I was surprised. Was he becoming possessive?

Never.

He was a cold-hearted bastard.

"This is called a ring." My voice shook a bit. I rolled my eyes trying to control my scattered thoughts.

"Why?" His voice strained to keep from shouting again. In that moment, I wanted nothing but to hug him and keep him all to myself. I wanted to tell him that it was all a lie. Then suddenly Jacob's face flashed in my mind and my last memories of Edward Cullen came rushing in.

His provoking speeches and unreliable promises came to my mind first. Followed by the moment when he told me that he wanted me to be safe even if it cost him his life, and then after that, him leaving me injured and telling me that I was of no use to him any longer.

My blood started to boil when I realized that his current drama was all based on what he needed. Again, I was going to be a pawn in his planning and fight for him.

This time, no such thing would happen.

He silently waited for my answer, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Because he is a good man. He loves me." I smiled a bit remembering Jacob's bad jokes and proposal. He did love me very much.

"But you don't love him. You should be with the one you love!" His implication didn't go unnoticed by me. I clenched my fist in preparation to punch his pretty face hard enough to mutilate it.

"No. You should stay with the one who loves you, because they keep you happy and protected. And not _use_ you," I spat out. His jaws clenched, and he tilted his face to look at me for one last time. He pulled out his phone and typed in the number.

"Clean up this mess," he ordered the person on the other side of the phone. I took that as the cue to leave.

"See you soon," he called from behind me, and I shook my head in frustration.

"I hope I never meet you again, Anthony." I turned around once again and walked till I was sure I was out of his view. I turned and saw him standing among three other men who nodded silently to what he was saying.

Relief washed over me soon after, telling me that I had successfully dodged a great danger. It told me that my concentration should be focused on Armando Francis, an illegal ammunition dealer who was in town. I had to kill him … tonight.

There was going to be no posing. No disguise. Just a bullet between his eyes.

As for Edward Cullen or should I call Anthony … He was going to die as soon as Jacob finds him. He never misses a shot, just like me.

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_A/N: I'm back! *hugs* All the mistakes are my own! I have weak eyes. *squints*_

_Come follow me on twitter... I'm always lurking there cause I don't have a life. Follow: Paradisekiss053 _

_You can add me on Facebook too (No life!) Add me: Sand Princess _

_Let me know if you want more... I'm still developing the plot and well feedback would be awesome right now. Thanks for reading! _


	2. Mission Impossible

_All my friends. All my friends. *Big Bang Theory Style* Come here and sit around the virtual fire. Winter is coming. I am sorry for the late update. RL has been hectic. Might I add that I will update every 3 weeks or so? If I am early that means I have gone mad and left all my homework, projects, dance choreography and problems in my life behind to get to you. (Which you know I have done.) Love you guys! Enjoy! _

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**Chapter 1`**

_**Mission Impossible**_

"Isabella Marie Swan… official ID, Isa Vincent." I said into the small microphone in the middle of the white room.

"What is your condition?" A mechanical voice came from the little box on the panel. I looked nonchalantly at it.

"Home alone," I said. I rolled my eyes at the weirdness of the whole situation. How the hell did 'home alone' become a code to identify the recruited agents? 'Home alone'? Seriously? What had the people running this country come to!

"Come in," said the voice. If I ever find the person who blabbers into the mike all day, I swear I would scratch their eyes out of their sockets. Being in a job where you have to sit the whole day was beyond me. I preferred a life filled with action. Guns, bombs, crime, criminals, accidents, murders and huge ransoms were like drug to me. Not to mention the huge amount of money that 'mysteriously' transferred into my bank account only a few minutes after the chase had ended. All in all, my life was brilliant and I would have it in no other way.

The metallic white door opened with a screech showing the similar room behind it. I huffed in frustration, wondering why I was going through this torturous security again. _'Yeah right, the thrill of doing my job.'_ I reminded myself. Not many people have the capability to earn a shit load of money by just pretending to be someone else and kill a person. It was that easy! It was just like a video game… only better. It had better graphics and a lot more options in combat. As maniacal as this all sounds, this was who I was! I loved the adrenaline rush and the feeling of warm blood seeping down my victim's face as I said a last prayer and closed their eyes, the tiny drops coloring my fingertips in thick red. The smell of blood was the best! It had a rust effect to it that would make you sniff for longer and sometimes imagine if it would taste like real rust. I did think of trying it once, but never had the time to do it.

The person on the other side told me to shed my clothes and get inside the glass cubicle. I did as I was said and got inside the cubicle. The door shut with a thud and red beams of the scanner ran from head to toe, inspecting me. The lights went off after a while, and the door opened. I walked out hastily and put on my clothes. As soon as I had finished, the next door opened, and I sighed in relief.

It was not another white room. You never knew what would come next; they changed their system often and it followed an unusual pattern I never tried to discover. This room was like a private office with beautiful mahogany furniture. I sat down on the only chair available and waited for the Chief to appear. As the room opened, admitting him, I stood up, bowed, and greeted him.

"Isa, please take a seat. I have rather important news to share with you." He didn't smile warmly, alerting me that this would be a tricky case.

"I hope everything is well." He dismissed my words and offered me a glass of water. I shook my head.

"Good… This time I am hoping you will be able to hold your cover for longer. Anthony Masen is you next target, and we expect full dossier about him. Your work will be to get us inside information and the system his organization works on. I need Masen's private history and for that you need to get familiar with him." I raised an eyebrow. I had known Anthony Masen for a different reason altogether.

I was going after Anthony Masen.

"May I ask why so much research will be needed on my part?"

"You seem curious!" He seemed a bit amused.

"I like to know why I am doing what I am doing, and when I am doing it." My voice was strong, and it surprised the Chief.

"It is the mere fact that he has remained hidden from the public eye for the past twelve years. We have very little information about him. It only includes his name, his location and a few other details…"

"When do I have to kill him?" I asked, a little more enthusiastic than I should be.

"When we have all the information we need." He looked at me like I was an idiot. Well, my question was somewhat stupid. I wanted Anthony gone as fast as I could.

"Thank you… I should probably leave." I stood up awkwardly. I was about to get out of the room when I was called.

"Bella, I want you to ruin him. He has to pay for what he did to your mother. Make him regret that he ever came anywhere near Renee or you." I turned to him with a smile.

"Billy, I promise you, he will not die without regretting each and every mistake he has ever made. I will use everything you have taught me."

"By the way, I hear that he has a thing for brunettes," he teased.

"At last! I found a guy who doesn't love blondes. I can be me again!" He laughed with me and bid me farewell. I nodded and returning to my usual character, left.

I walked past the blazing lights of the streets as bitter memories flooded into my mind.

_"Bella…" I could hear my father calling my name. I was doing my homework and didn't want to be bothered so I didn't answer. I heard the knock on my door again._

_"Bella?" My fathers voice was louder. What's he doing at home? He's never home. He was never home when it was my birthday or even his anniversary! Had he gone mad or had he realized that he had a family?_

_I opened the door to my room and met with the figure of my father. He held the doorframe for support and seemed to be trembling. I tried to balance him and pulled him inside the room._

_"What is it?" I asked him after I had seated him on my bed. He pulled me into his chest and started sobbing._

_"I'm so sorry," he mumbled over and over. I grew desperate. I kept on asking him what the matter was, but never really got the answer. I grew worried and shook him hard._

_He looked up at me with his puffy eyes._

_"Your ma. . . is dead."_

_"Wha…?"_

_"Your mother was killed!" He couldn't keep his voice down anymore._

_My mother had gone out for an important job for the past few days. She said she was hunting another criminal… whatever that meant. She had said she couldn't call me or come to me for a while. For a while. Only a little while._

_I didn't remember much of that night except that my father and we held each other as we cried the whole night._

_The next morning brought the most scarring images of my life. My mother's body was brought at about eleven in the morning. I wanted to see her face, but they didn't let me. I wondered why._

_But I was a stubborn child and I managed to take a peek at her face. Her face was mutilated. Deep jabs everywhere. Her face was pale and puffed, and her eyelids were… missing. I screamed in agony. Ma was dead._

_Dad couldn't speak as he held me. He too had dared to look at mothers face and I could only imagine how it had affected him. I had not lost one but two very important people in my life that day. My father and my mother._

_My blood was boiling in my veins, and I could feel my anger rising with each step. Finally, my mother's murderer was going to get the same treatment as my mother._

_He had come after we had come back from the funeral. He was young and handsome. His auburn hair the most splendid color and his green eyes piercing with curiosity._

_"Who are you?" I had asked in a firm voice._

_"Is your father home?" he asked, smiling politely at me._

_"No. You can leave a message." I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion._

_"You are just like your mother." He seemed rather amused by something._

_"You knew my mother?" My voice grew cold and I could feel the tears trying to escape._

_"I did. We had a wonderful game of hide and seek." I didn't understand._

_"Anthony Mason!" It was my father's loud voice that startled me. The name seemed vaguely familiar, like I had heard it somewhere in a conversation. I searched my mind for a moment and remembered my father whispering to one of his colleagues about Anthony Masen. The murderer._

_"Why the hell are you here?"_

_"I just wanted to say goodbye to one of the most beautiful women in the world." He smirked. My father lunged at him, but he dodged. The heated conversation continued… For what seemed like an eternity, I kept quiet. When I found my voice the words that came out of my mouth were the only I wished to fulfill._

_"I am going to kill you." They didn't hear me._

_"I am going you kill you." My voice grew firmer._

_"What did you say, little girl?" he asked with a smile._

_"I am going to kill you someday. Remember that." His smile vanished and he looked at me for a long time. A devious smile spread across his lips._

_"Sure you will, my kitten." He leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek. I stared at him in disgust, and he smiled. "Darling, I am only twelve years older than you. Someday we'll meet, and you will be the death of me." He turned around and left._

_My father kept staring into space. He too went out from the house. That was the last time I ever saw him._

I had spoken to him occasionally, and sent him e-mails, letters and other things, but I never got to meet him again and ask him what mistake I had made. Maybe he held me responsible for everything. Maybe I was responsible. If I had been older and capable of making her understand that her job was not safe for any of us… If she were anything like me, she would have never heard.

I had reached my apartment in an hour or so and packed my bag to leave. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. The phone buzzed again, and impatient as I was, I pulled it out of my jeans and flipped it open. It was a message from Chief.

'Bella your father met with an accident a few hours ago. I am sorry to inform you that he is dead.'

I couldn't speak or comprehend the situation. Only one word came to my mind. Orphan. In a matter of minutes, I had lost the other most important person in my life. I couldn't turn back or let it affect me. I had a job to finish.

The list of regrets started to build up, and I tried to suppress the tears that threatened to spill.

I had never told him that I loved him. I had never forgiven him for ignoring me. I had never cooked him something to eat. I had never been able to make him proud. I never made him proud!

If he had only. . . I couldn't blame him for dying!

The cab had arrived and the grief overtook me as I got inside. I put my earphones in my ears and pressed play. The music stung my ears, but I didn't stop it. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn't wipe them away. My heart felt lighter by the time I reached my location. The first thing I saw was a huge white gate with about ten men guarding it. I paid the cabby and walked straight to the gate.

"May I ask who you are?" A guard spoke up.

"No need for you to know."

"Why are you here?"

"I have an appointment with the boss."

"Mr. Masen doesn't have any people visiting him to-"

"Except me. Let me in." They frowned at me, and then dialed a number on the phone.

"Okay… you can go in." He looked me up and down.

"Any problem?" I glared.

"No," he said suspiciously, but nonetheless let me inside. It seemed like there were people in the main room where there was a bar and a pool table. It was a normal scene for the mobsters to be enjoying their free time. I wondered how or if they ever got over their guilt.

"I am Victoria. Who might you be?" she was wearing a jumper. She poked me with her gun.

"Put that away, darling. You don't need to know my name." I smiled icily at her. She seemed like the doll of the group, not the usual eye candy, though. The men in the room laughed in humor and cheered for me.

Imbeciles.

I don't like mobsters. I hate men. I am a little biased because they seem to be the main problem in my life and in the world. They make my life hard and try to kill me. I think that is reason enough.

"Where's the boss?"

No one replied. I ground my teeth together in frustration and repeated the question. They said 'he's not in'. I ignored their protests as I headed towards the smaller rooms. They were all empty, but then I heard the harsh whispering from a door. I slammed the door open, but the person sitting on the desk didn't seem to acknowledge me as I entered the room.

"Get the work done, Alec, or else you have no use staying here." He hung up and turned his attention to me.

He was still the same. His features still strong, but he seemed bolder, more powerful. Now that I looked closer into his face, his green eyes had a hint of gray in them that made him look predatory, his ashen face, lips pressed in a thin line and the way he combed his hair was making me fidget. It might have just been a reaction to what seemed like the most important mission yet, but I knew that it was more. I was coming face to face with the killer of my mother. She had been just like me, the top of the batch. The apple of everyone's eyes, the one who could do anything, but she was killed. He killed her. My nervousness ran deeper than I could comprehend. I was scared of him.

His auburn hair had become a little browner than the last time I saw him nine years ago. My eyes flickered to his lips.

"Anthony, I am so sorry. I couldn't hold her back." He raised a hand and dismissed Victoria.

"So who might you be, miss?" His eyes burned into mine and I tried to look away in vain.

"Isabella," I replied before I could stop myself. Something inside me wanted to kill him right here, but my name would linger in his brain like a memory. I didn't think he would dig for me. First, he wouldn't find me, and second, people under cover always change names. My real name was just the personal disguise. It made me happy that this time there would be no pretenses, no walls to guard me from the raw feelings that rolled out from my body, and I was sure he could feel them. There was something in his eyes though that made my fear dissipate slowly.

A trace of dark humor lurked in his eyes. He wasn't even trying to hide it and that made him tougher to read. This open book needed a magic spell to show its words. I would find that magic word. . . soon.

"Isabella. . . a beautiful name!" He spun in his chair with a smirk on his face. Was he trying to infuriate me?

"I know," my voice sounded weak and hoarse in his presence. Kill him. Kill him, my brain kept on saying.

"Sit down, will you, Isabella?" I sauntered to the chair and held it from behind, not wanting to sit down. He pressed the phone to his ears and started speaking in fluent French. Impressive.

He was talking about a shipment. Probably of drugs. There seemed to be a nasty conflict with the buyers. My ears perked up in interest.

"Take care of it." He ground his teeth together. In that moment I could feel something deep in my stomach. One word came to my mind. . . Fuck.

He punched a few numbers in his cell phone and spoke harshly to the person on the other side. His voice was low, rough, and authoritative. Suddenly, his voice would rise, but then his menacing comeback would send shivers down my spine. Though his body language was fascinating me, I didn't have much time. I needed to prepare for what was going to come. It was going to be very tough to keep up with such a hot and cold guy.

That killer. . .

"Hey there," his eyes snapped up in irritation. "Yeah, you. You'd better listen up. I am not here to look at you face for the whole day."

"I don't mind…" He smirked. I raised my eyebrows at him in confusion.

"Well, I don't mind if you ogle at me all day. I was quite enjoying your speculation this whole time. I didn't want to interrupt you." Smart ass. "So fire away, Isabella."

"I want to join you," I said smoothly. The words seemed true as they came out of my mouth.

"What are you good at?" He was back in business. He stood up abruptly, dialed another number, and only said a quiet 'come in'. I stood there bewildered at his actions.

"Anthony?" Someone called from the door, and he just waved at the man to come in. He was a tall, burly man with black spiky hair.

"Demetri, could you please join me?" he asked as he gestured to the chair in front of him. He turned to me with serious eyes and looked me from head to toe. I wondered if he liked what he saw. From the hint of amusement that I found in his features, I had a feeling that he wasn't going to go easy on me in this little interview.

"You have a nice attitude, but if you want to work, you need to keep it down a notch." His grave voice made me stumble back. He did mean business. His playful self was nothing compared to this. I liked this side of him. Business made it easier for everyone. "Now tell me what you're good at."

"Just ask." I couldn't help but smirk. I could do everything that he could. Maybe not better, but surely not far behind his level. I had prepared myself like that my whole life.

He pulled out a gun from his pocket and threw it towards me. I caught it without effort and looked at him with confusion. "Dismantle it." he ordered.

Dismantle it? Was he mad?

"Do you have a problem taking orders? I said, dismantle it." I furrowed my eyes together but didn't question him as I dismantled the gun piece by piece. "Good. Now, put it back together." I leaned forward to take the trigger and he stopped me. "Wait. I want to time you. I'll give you thirty seconds to put it back together. Demetri here will shoot you if you take longer." His voice was filled with an authority that sent chills down my spine.

What was he playing at?

There was a part missing.

"Bastard," I hissed under my breath and took out my own gun and pointed it at Demetri. He seemed surprised.

"You didn't finish the task at hand in time. Should I ask Demetri to pull the trigger?" I wasn't scared of him. I held the gun at Demetri's head, knowing full well that I had passed the test.

"I don't have time for your stupid games, Anthony."

"But it is, darling. You should be vigilant. But I'm impressed that you caught me before time and pulled out your own gun. I like to be prepared for the worst. It seems that it's the same for you." He walked straight to me and handed me the bullet. "Nice work," he whispered into my ears. My eyes narrowed at him and he burst into laughter.

"You can leave now, Demetri." His voice was friendly again. "Are you good at combat?" he asked after some time of silence. I fidgeted under his scrutiny but nodded.

"Isn't it a bit too hot in here?" He tugged at his shirt and opened it.

What the…

I tried not to ogle, and at last looked towards the ground. This man was twelve or so years older than me and certainly no movie star that I could form an immature crush on him. I wasn't so weak.

"You should take off that jacket, you know," he said with amusement. I didn't flinch back as he touched my shoulder and tried to open the first button. I slapped his hand away, swearing under my breath and jumped away from him when he tried to come near again.

What a jackass! I though to myself and got hold of his misbehaving hand and strategically twisted it so that I was pressed against his back, and his hand was locked behind his back in my tight grip. He laughed, impressed by my little show. Before I understood what hit me, I twirled around and flinched as he grabbed my hand and locked it behind me.

Son of a bitch…

He put one leg between mine and twined it so that my right leg was locked, too, and I groaned. The pain was there, but not as much as I had thought. He was holding back on me. But I could feel him pressed up against me. It wasn't a pretty thought, but I did wriggle around a bit.

Mayday! Mayday! We need help here!

I was just freaking out. There was nothing to be freaked out about. He was a guy and guys were horny all the time. Nothing to panic about!

Maybe he is a huge pervert. You know he is! So shouldn't you run? He killed my mother… That, too. My inner voice had quieted down as I chanted my motto. Kill him.

I could feel something cold pressed against my neck. Cold, hard… I stiffened. I shouldn't have such a reaction, but his closeness was making it hard not to feel the fear. He was definitely intimidating; and I was really scared, not because of his character only, but because seeing him did weird things to me. He was good looking after all.

He moved our body together, as if to some unheard music in the background, but I saw what he was doing. There was a huge glass window that reflected our image. He had pressed his lips to my hair and slightly brushed the strands on my face. I shivered and he chuckled. Anthony let me go abruptly, leaving me in a trance. I heard the squeaking sound of leather. He had sat back in his damn chair and was smirking at me. He pulled out his cell phone again and dialed without haste. He spoke quickly into the phone and then looked up to grin at me.

"I will be seeing you soon, Isabella." He bowed his head and then smiled crookedly. Damn him!

I raised an eyebrow, not trusting my voice to come out properly. He laughed and just waved his hand, dismissing me.

"Pervert," I muttered under my breath. He seemed to have heard it.

"My feisty kitten," he said in an amused voice. Had he recognized me? No, that couldn't be!

I was sure he was trying to make me angry. He was succeeding, and I hated him for that. I stomped out of his office and as soon as I entered the common room, it seemed to burst with excitement. There were catcalls and whistles. There were conspiring whispers and then there were simple smiles. The same woman from before came in and extended her hand to me.

"Victoria," she said in a clipped voice. This was supposed to be a warning to me. I was getting close to her territory and the possessive lioness she was, she couldn't stand the thought of losing her reign so soon.

"Bella."

"Welcome to ground zero. You'd better be prepared for what's coming at you, we don't want some amateur to ruin our hard work." She drew closer to me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. She wasn't the least bit intimidating, and it was funny that she was trying so hard. "And stay away from my man." I think I chuckled because she seemed furious.

_I know darling, I can have that effect on people._

* * *

_Hey there, peeps. Thank you for all the love, adds, alerts and comments. I was overwhelmed by the comments. To my readers who stayed anonymous... Thank you, your comments meant a lot, but I would love it if we could interact more. :) Hugs and kisses to Tropical Sorbet for pimping me out and encouraging me to actually do this and to Shasta53 for bearing my unbearable writing and actually making it into this... All mistakes were mine. _

_I love to speak with people who want to be my friend or read my fic. So add me on facebook and twitter. I am SandPrincess Fanfiction on facebook and Paradisekiss053 on twitter. I am always lurking there. _

_XXSandXX_


	3. Crime Scene

_A/N: I updated! *rolls eyes*... Yeah I know you can see. I'm sorry for being so late! Thanks to the ladies on Facebook and my lovely beta/pre-reader Shasta53 for encouraging me to actually post it, and thanks to Archer Ashenbert (RL) for supporting my love for the Mafia!_

_All human. Guns. Mobs. Hate. Revenge and a bitter-sweet journey to Hell. (And of course owns the characters! Oh and before I forget, I am slightly inclined to SRK, so don't mind me!)_

* * *

**The Dangerous Corner  
**

* * *

**Crime Scene  
**

I exited the mansion in haste, prepared to call the chief and finalize all plans. I needed more rules, hard boundaries and some personal details checked up before I got into anything.

I was sitting on my sofa with my laptop and searching for Anthony Masen when suddenly the chat popped up. I stared at it in surprise. _Who the hell is daring to attempt a chat with me? _

**JB212: Wassup?**

Really? This had what he had come down to? I smiled at the screen and thought before I replied.

**IsaV: Are you kidding me?**

**IsaV: Why are you still naming yourself after a teen pop star? **

**IsaV: Am I missing the joke here? **

His reply was quick.

**JB212: That time of the month?**

Black had been my friend since we were very young. He had always protected me from the bullies at school and followed me to boarding school. Billy was happy that Black made the decision. He was small, but the death of his mother had made him strong and determined to care for the ones he loved. Apparently, he loved me, as a sister probably. I didn't want to risk asking.

His friendship meant a lot. He had been there when my mother died. He had helped me train. He was born a fighter; watching him work with weapons was like watching a magician. Yes, he was that good!

**IsaV: Har har. Very funny.**

**JB212: Heard about your new case…**

**IsaV: Oh.**

**JB212: That's all you have to say?**

**IsaV: What else?**

**JB212: Aren't you excited?**

**IsaV: Yup.**

**JB212: I'll visit you sometime. Miss you.**

**IsaV: Gotta go! Duty calls.**

**JB212: Daddy dearest? :D**

**IsaV: Have some respect for your father!**

**JB212: Bye. ;)**

My phone came to life. The call was from a private number. I picked it up and waited for the other person to speak.

"Isabella, you are wanted at the headquarters in thirty minutes." And the phone went dead. Why do I have to go to the headquarters again?

Hello, work pressure. I thought I was going to sit on my laptop and have a nice evening stalking people, but hell no. . . They have to ruin my plans.

It took me ten minutes to dress formally and reach my car. And then I drove like a maniac. Traffic rules be damned.

"Isa Vincent." I said to the Chief's secretary. A junior agent greeted me and asked me to follow him. The chief was there, sitting in his office, going through a bunch of files.

Busy man.

"Isabella, please take a seat. We will start the meeting shortly." The door opened again and a blonde beauty came through it. She smiled politely at me as she sat down on the seat beside me and then cleared her throat.

"Rosalie Hale will be your partner in this mission." He gave me a pointed look.

"I'm sorry, I don't get what you are saying." My brows were furrowed in confusion. My mind screamed to protest. _No, I can't work with someone else._

"I'm sure you understand that I don't have to explain the reasons behind my decisions." He raised an eyebrow as if to challenge me to protest. "You might have experience with shootouts and battlegrounds, but what you don't have is the power of using technology-" I cut him off.

"I'm sorry, but as far as I remember, I am well acquainted with computers and software functioning. You know this!"

"You're being stubborn, Isabella," he said in a calm voice.

"What's so different in this case?" _Calm down, Bella, he's the boss. You can't scream at him. He has experience on his side; he must have a good reason!_

"Anthony Mason is not only a very intelligent man, but also very well informed about the workings of our organization." My eyes widened. "We need to hide your identity. We have to make your fake records as real as it can get. You will be busy with the field work, but what about the other part of the job?"

"Excuse me, Chief, can I speak?" Rosalie asked. Chief nodded at her.

"Miss Swan, my name is Rosalie Hale. I have been appointed to make your job easier. Anthony Mason has a reputation for his background checks. He has a team of trackers who can find out each and every detail about you, if you don't have a good way to block them out. I'll be acting as the barrier. My job will be to remove your birth records, and job records among other things so that you can continue without being suspicious."

She was a confident girl. There was something about her that told me that she would do whatever to get the job done. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes, a gleam only workaholics had. Nice.

"Shouldn't that be the job of the organization?" I challenged. Of course, now I was just testing her determination to make me understand. I think even Chief understood that. He didn't interrupt my interrogation. She blinked at my comment and then rolled her eyes.

"No offense, Miss Swan, but the organization doesn't revolve around you." I laughed. "With the huge amount of work to be done continually to protect you, the organization has hired me to oversee it personally. We wouldn't want anything to get missed and leave you vulnerable."

"None taken, Miss Hale." Yes. She would call me out on my bullshit. "Anything else?"

"Ah, Isabella, now that we've caught your interest. I'll leave it to Rosalie to give you the details… As far as I'm concerned, she gets the job done. You two will make a good team. Good luck." He didn't let us speak further. His tone was final. We left the room silently as I grumbled in my mind.

It might be fun to work with someone else. Maybe I would learn something new. Adding to experience was never a problem, but then did I have the time to experiment on my abilities to socialize in this case?

"I know what you are thinking. You should relax a little." Yeah, she was indignant.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, c'mon, I did my research. I know that you must be really furious that Anthony killed your mother. You should be, but don't let your emotions get in your way! If he gets in your head, there will be no way that we will be able to dodge his attacks. . ."

"I know that." I sighed. "Let's make a plan. So apart from the records, what else will you be working on?"

"Well, if you must know, I will be monitoring your locations and interactions with the members of the gang and recording them, just in case we get any information on their workings. Then, we need to hack into their system and get access to the mansion."

"I can do that!" I volunteered, enthusiastically.

"Actually, you can't. They have a kid called Seth there. The boy is fourteen… Don't laugh!" She pinched her nose in irritation. What? A fourteen-year-old? C'mon he can't be that important.

"That boy hacked into the system of one of the largest banks a year ago and transferred ten million dollars into his account. The best part of it was… no one could trace him because he spread the money out in different parts of the world, all in small amounts. The boy is a genius." She was smirking when she saw my wide eyes. Hacking a system of that level of protection at the age of thirteen was a big deal. How did Anthony get a hold of him?

"And you can outweigh his genius?" A dark chuckle escaped my lips as I asked the question.

"No. I can't. But I'm better than you." She cleared her throat again and looked around. We were standing in front of a small café. She pulled me inside with her in spite of my protests.

"I do my work here," she whispered to me. Several people were sitting across the café silently reading, writing, working and just thinking by themselves. "They make excellent hot chocolate here. Want some?" she asked with a warm smile. I shrugged.

Rosalie called the waitress over and ordered for both of us. She dug into her bag and pulled out a thick file.

"I'm not going to apologize for snooping around. It's my job. So, I was looking through the records of your past missions, and I was surprised. You're excellent in recording all the data, but what you don't know is that you should use more of yourself in you work and less of your . . . assets."

"What are you trying to say?"

"You dive in head first. I think you aren't using your resources to their fullest extent." She quirked an eyebrow, expecting me to comeback with a comment, but when I didn't, she continued. "Masen is well known for seeing through people. If he already hasn't seen through you, then it will take him a few days to understand that you are up to no good."

"Why are we having this discussion, again?" Her undermining my abilities was getting on my nerves. "What are you, my boss?" I seethed.

"No." She cleared her throat. "I'd rather be your friend." I almost laughed at that.

"Your point?"

"Well, you need to penetrate their system. I can work with the computers, but I need the information to start. You need to bond with the people , don't roll your eyes. I know you hate them, but that doesn't mean you aren't going to do what you don't like. We need this hacker-boy on your side. Masen is, no doubt, most important, but we need the boy." I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I know how important this is for you," she said in a hushed voice. She was fidgeting in her seat. Maybe, she didn't like to comfort people.

"You do?"

"Like I said, I snooped around. While you were very particular about your missions you never wrote anything related to your family. I know everything."

"How dare you dig up on my personal life! You have no right-" she cut me off.

"Listen to me! It's a good thing, believe me. It just makes you that much stronger. Yes, you can get emotionally weak, but you can turn your emotions into your power! I'm not sure what you were told about your mother's death, so I pulled some strings and got this report. I have your father's report, too." She handed me two black folders with a sympathetic look on her face. _Hell, I don't want your bloody sympathy. There's no reason to pity me!_

"My father's report?" My voice shook. He'd been in a car accident. I couldn't see him for the last time. The organization had some weird notion about it being a problem for my current mission.

_Damn the mission!_

"Just go through it. I hope you'll get some answers."

"You know a lot, don't you?" I had closed my eyes by that point. I couldn't take it. I wanted to open the damn folders and read them already, but I would breakdown. I didn't want to appear weaker than I already did.

My eyes snapped open when a shrill voice told us that our order was ready.

"One last thing . . . Um, I was asked to deliver this to you personally." She handed me a watch.

"Is this a joke?" I couldn't help but laugh. C'mon, it was a blue watch with a Mickey Mouse head on it!

"This is one of the most important weapons you have. This cute little thing has a chip in it which records your locations. It also records all your conversations and it has a self-destruct mode." She cleared her throat, uncomfortably.

"Why is this sounding like a suicide mission?" I narrowed my eyes, doubt clouding my brain.

"This is not a suicide mission. If you feel that there is no way out and you want an easy way out, push the little red button on the side. You can give a password and save it. If you say that password, the timer will start. A liquid will be ejected in your body . . . you won't feel a thing. And then the watch will self-destruct five minutes later killing all your enemies effectively."

"You talk too much!" I groaned. "Okay, I understand." I could see that she was still nervous. I'd say that I was infamous, but I had a feeling it was something else. What is it?

"Why are you so nervous?" I asked, not being able to keep my curiosity at bay. She looked startled for a minute, but then took a deep breath to compose herself.

"You will find some rather shocking things in those files. I'm not sure how you'll take it." She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.

"And you are concerned because . . ."

"You've obviously never worked in a team. I feel the need to socialize when I'm working; it makes the work easier." I snorted at her angry comment. "You should try it!" she hissed.

"All right. Are we finished here?" I asked her with a roll of my eyes. She sighed, got up from her chair, and slung the bag she was carrying on her shoulder.

As she was about to leave, she looked at me for one last time and smiled at me.

"A good mystery never reveals the story in the first few pages . . . the urge to know keeps us from putting the book down. And if the book is worth it, the reader remembers it long after they have finished reading. We are no different. Don't let your 'secrets' out. Your body is a holy place, if you let your secret out before its time, you will be forgotten and put away like a bad mystery. Think about it." And then she was gone. I stared after her and then looked down at the mug in on the table. I picked it up and sipped as I considered her words.

"Good point, well made, Miss Rosalie."

I sat on the couch in my apartment with a cup of coffee and stared at the black files in front of me.

_God help me… I really want to know what is in there, but I don't think I'll be able to control my emotions!_

_Fuck that. No one's looking; I can cry all I want. _

I picked up a file, randomly and opened the first page.

A beautiful picture of my mother was there with her name written beside it.

_Read me. _My mind was playing games. I sighed once and vowed that I wouldn't stop till I finished.

I turned to the next page and saw the list of cases she had been on. Apparently, her death had left the organization shaken.

There were handwritten notes of her last words. I felt my throat tighten as I recognized her handwriting.

_Dorian Masen. _

_Personal Profile: Father of a son who was killed a few years ago during a shootout. His son's body was never recovered. Mr. Masen believes that his son is alive and invests a large amount of his funds in searching for his son. _

_His wife died shortly after his son. The cause of her death is rumored to have been suicide. Reason remains unknown. _

_Business: The mob boss is known for his expertise in guns and hand on hand combat. _

_The mob specializes in trafficking of humans, weapons and prostitution as well as illegal drug dealing, grand theft auto, and killing. _

_He has about a thousand or so people working under him._

_Medical History: Suffers from a heart condition. Suffers from acute lung problems due to smoking and liver cirrhosis from excessive drinking. He takes medication for depression. _

_Personal notes: It is possible that his situation with his family can be used to weaken him. We are pretty sure that his son is dead. A body was brought to the morgue but was never identified- the very same day as the shootout. His wife was the love of his life, and since the reason behind her committing suicide remains unknown, it is safe to believe that Dorian wasn't the reason behind her death. _

_Our team of three has worked day and night to understand what is going on. We have a solid plan to finish off the man and submit the paper work to effectively shut out the whole system he has been running. _

_Tango and Jasper have been keeping tabs on Dorian Masen. Our plan will take effect in two weeks time. _

I stared at the piece of paper. Who the hell are Tango and Jasper? Of course they must've been her colleagues, but what were the real names? My mom had always used the name Ray for some reason. I think my dad used to call her that. He said that she was the ray of hope in his life. That must have been where the name came from.

I stared at the date that was written on the note. It was two weeks before she died. Maybe she died during the mission.

What surprised me was that everyone thought Anthony Masen was dead. Dorian must've known it all along. It could be that he was protecting his son from the clutches of people who wanted to hurt him or his son.

I needed to find Tango and Jasper. I needed to hack into the agent database and find what was going on.

I turned to the next page and gasped. It contained pictures of my mother. The images were nothing that I hadn't seen, but it brought back fresh memories.

There was a forensic report with the pictures. I read carefully through them.

They had checked her and found that she had been given an overdose of 'ecstacy'. They had used a knife to cut her wrists and eyelids.

I shut my eyes to prevent the images from evading my mind. It took me a while to control myself and push away the memories of seeing her body first hand.

She had a few broken ribs. She was also pregnant.

I couldn't believe it. Had I lost more than I had reckoned? How could I have lost more?

My heart was pained at the new found truth. It had been a long time ago, but the thought of losing my mother and a brother- or a sister. It was like the first day I had spent without her; Father and I holding each other as we cried.

I missed her. Now even more than before.

I looked away from the page and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.

I had seen worse, heard far more horrible things, yet I felt a shiver run down my spine as I imagined how it would feel to be gone before seeing the light.

I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers on my lids until I saw the colorful play of lines that looked like lightning.

I could think of everything later at night. Right at that moment, I needed to stay professional.

I took a deep breath and set the file back in its place, now looking curiously at the other black file. Charlie's.

I took it and flipped the cover open. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. There was a full image of him, and I was proud to be his daughter. I realized that I got my looks from both my parents. But that was not what surprised me. It was the name written beside it.

_Tango. _

Tango? How the hell can he be the man who was part of Mom's team? I thought he was a software engineer at Cognizant. This is so fucked up!

_Charlie Swan, officially known as Tango, was one of the best undercover agents of all time. His identity had been hidden since he joined. His cover as an engineer was an attempt to locate and eradicate any connection that the company or organization could have had to the Mafia. He was an expert at hacking into several high security systems and a maker of spy chips. _

_Shortly after the death of his wife, agent Ray, he quit the agency and opened a search program on Anthony Masen, the alleged murderer of agent Ray. His age was thirty-five when he left the organization. _

_He had spent the last nine years of his life hunting down Anthony Masen to no avail. It was with his help that the 'Spy Technologies' department was built. _

How the hell had he been the best and still not able to catch Anthony? Maybe they were exaggerating or something.

I turned to the next page where a list of his missions was given. They were all over the place. Sometimes they were small hits and others were important ones, like the risky ones such as drug dealers and sort. There were a few very popular names that caught my eye. It was then I discovered something; he had no pattern or specific way of getting the job done. It seemed as though he worked like a madman.

Of course that was a professional view, but the fact that he was so dedicated, that he loved my mother so much made me want to do… SOMETHING.

_According to his testimony, during the assassination of Dorian Masen, Charlie had been the one who killed the Dorian. Ray was supposed to be breaking into the security system without detection, and Jasper was across the Masen estate acting as the sniper. Unfortunately, Anthony Masen found Ray in the security room. Anthony Masen, who was earlier believed to have died in a shootout, is believed to have been underground, training to take over the business after his ailing father. According to Charlie, in spite of having no proof that it was Anthony Masen who killed agent Ray, he was pretty sure it was him. The Chief ruled the option of killing Anthony as unethical because there was no proof to prove him guilty, so he was spared to Charlie's utter dislike. _

_Charlie, too, attested that it was unethical, but that didn't stop him from further investigation. It is said that the opinion of the Chief was what made up his mind. He wanted to do something, and doing that under the organization would break its rules, so he quit. _

Charlie's decisions were made when he was emotional. But then after the funeral why hadn't Charlie killed Anthony when he got the time. Why did he change his mind on the subject so many times?

To not kill the person who killed your beloved, there must have been a reason behind it. It went over my head, but I was pretty sure there were a few things that even this file couldn't answer. All this just didn't add up.

I flipped the pages that gave his bio-data. It had everything! Things I didn't know. For a moment I wondered if that was what it was to be an agent, to hide oneself from people. I shook the thought away and concentrated on the file.

_Charlie Swan's car was found on a roadside, totally crushed. His body was recovered from the car. _

Pictures. Pictures. There was no point in acting like I could recognize him. I couldn't. But the body was declared as Charlie Swan's.

My father was really dead. But looking at the car, the condition of his body . . . How could this be an accident?

_All possibilities of the reason for his death are open. It could be a murder or it could be indeed an accident, but the organization believes that it was a murder. _

_They can't rule out the fact that it could be suicide also. _

Suicide. Could my father have killed myself? After all these years, had he given up? Had he known that I was taking over his work? So many questions would remain unanswered.

I thought over everything I had read. I took the files and placed them on my working desk. Papers were scattered all over the place. I opened my laptop and searched for newspaper clippings. There were none. It was as if my father never died or was never found.

I picked up my phone and dialed Rosalie's number. It was picked up on the second ring.

_"Miss Hale here." _

"Isabella Swan."

_"Oh, yes. Have you gone over the files that I gave you?"_ I nodded, realizing a little too late that she couldn't see me.

"Yes," I said in a whisper. I knew she heard. That was why she sighed.

_"So, what can I help you with?"_ she asked, alert and calculative.

"You are recording this conversation, aren't you?" I asked, a bit amused. I was impressed with her presence of mind. In the short time I had known her, I would've liked to think that she took care of each and every factor, looked at each facet of the case.

_"I am. You were saying?"_ she asked in irritation.

"You never mentioned anything about this guy, Jasper. Who is this? Could you find out?"

_"Okay…"_ She hesitated. _"I don't know why you want it."_ And that was my cue.

"Because I want to know. I'm sure you've read the files." I rolled my eyes.

_"Yes. I will do that and come back to you when I find out,"_ she said easily.

"Nice working with you."

_"Yeah."_ As I was about to hang up I heard her speak again. _"Remember, mystery book,"_ she said cryptically. I sighed and hung up.

I plopped down on my bed throwing the cell-phone on the corner and put my hands behind my head.

_Who the hell is this Jasper?_

* * *

_A/N: I'm back! *hugs* All the mistakes are my own!_

Come follow me on twitter... I'm always lurking there cause I don't have a life. Follow: Paradisekiss053

You can add me on Facebook too (No life!) Add me: Sand Princess

Let me know if you want more... I'm still developing the plot and well feedback would be awesome right now. Thanks for reading! 


	4. Brainstorm

_A/N: Hi there! We all know that S. Meyer owns Edward. -_- Just to make it very clear. I own Anthony. He is patented. Clear? Oh and Shasta53, did I tell you that I love you? I didn't? *shocked* I love you! *hugs* You make these posts bearable! :)**  
**_

_Warning: This chapter contains violence. You are on your own from here.  
_

* * *

**The Dangerous Corner**

* * *

**Brainstorm**

It had been two days since I called Rosalie. She had still not called with the information; it was a bit unsettling. I also didn't have much to do. I cleaned the house, looked at some of the family pictures from when I was young- which were a very few- played games on odd social networking sites and kept myself from thinking about the black files on my table that I had already read,. It was like they were screaming at me to look at them again.

My mind wandered to too many places. The only thing that could keep it off from the horrid thoughts was my morbid curiosity about Jasper, the person I had to find. So I opened my computer and searched.

Most agents had names that were of significance to them; it was usually what defined them or something they liked. Of course, I was hoping that the person would have significance to the name he gave himself. My father's name had been Tango. . . his favorite dance style, even though he had never been a good dancer. Jasper could be anything. . . What did the name mean?

_In English, the name Jasper can derive either from the Persian name Caspar, meaning 'treasurer,' or the Persian word 'yashp,' meaning 'spotted stone.' It is the name of a semi-precious form of quartz._

_Famous Jaspers include Jasper Tudor, uncle to the English King Henry VII, novelist Jasper Fforde and fashion designer, Jasper Conran._

_It was the 51__st__ most popular name in Belgium in 2006._

Then in another tab,

_Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color and, rarely, blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time, for snuffboxes. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded jasper. Jasper is basically chert, which owes its red color to iron three inclusive._

_The twenty percent of foreign materials determine its color, streak, and appearance._

_The jasper is, along with heliotrope also known as bloodstone, one of the traditional birthstones for March._

In physical therapy jasper is used to heal mental stress. It is said to aid in grounding, to give protection, and to help align all the chakras and balance yin-yang energies.

I hunted for a pad and pen of paper and then scribbled down the newfound information in it. I thought for a second and then dismissed the idea.

I opened a few sites about authenticity and composition, but the most striking thing that came was that jasper stones were polished to make aristocratic vases sometimes.

Yeah, not very interesting.

I shut the laptop down and stared at the notepad.

I was staring at things an awful lot these days.

I didn't know why I was doing this myself. I needed time to think through my game plan with Anthony and here I was thinking about this Jasper who might or might not have any significance to his real name or character.

I was probably wasting my time and energy. So I kept everything aside and dragged myself to the bed. I covered myself up with a sheet and then closed my eyes to find some sleep.

Luck was not on my side, apparently. My phone started ringing, and I startled awake. I found it tucked underneath my backside.

_Awkward. _

I picked it up and looked at the number.

Nope. Don't know it.

I picked it up and answered cautiously.

"_We need you tomorrow morning, at five."_ FIVE! _"Don't be late."_ And then I heard the dial tone.

_That bastard, Anthony! _

I smiled to myself in satisfaction. I was going to begin my dream job. I closed my eyes again, the smile still on my face.

Ready or not . . . Here I come.

~TDC~

It was almost four in the morning when I peeped out from under my sheets and looked at the digital clock on my nightstand. My eyes were still heavy with sleep. I'd gotten very little sleep the night before. With the excitement of starting my mission mixed with my obsessive thoughts about the black files, sleep had not come easily to me.

It took me a while to get back to my senses and get ready to leave.

He didn't even tell me where to go! I thought for a moment and then checked my mobile to see who had called last. It was a private number. Damn.

The man was testing me. How the hell was I supposed to reach him by five in the morning if I didn't know where to go? I ran to my room and fired up my computer.

_Shit. Half an hour to go!_

I connected my cell phone to my computer and tried to find out the number. No. It didn't come out. I racked my mind and tried again- this time I tried to re-dial the number.

_Bingo!_

I pressed the okay button and pulled the phone to my ears.

"_Good morning, Isabella. How are you doing this fine morning?" _I could hear the amusement in his voice. He wasn't impressed. It took me too long to get back to him. He probably had expected me to call him back last night, like the asshole he is. He was testing my limits and my emotions were incapacitating me, rendering me incompetent. He was good. He was probably trying to break my will.

Does he suspect something? Maybe.

_I need to find out._

"You never mentioned where I was supposed to reach," I said in a clipped tone. He chuckled lightly and then sighed.

"_You're late." _Fuck._ "Get to the mansion in ten minutes. I'll be waiting for you there." _He hung up.

He sure loved to be rude to people. Every phone call I had heard him take had been same. Doesn't he want to increase his empire or hold onto it? If he behaves like this with everyone, they would all turn against him and probably kill him one day!

I didn't think I would ever understand the man. He was a mystery, a mystery I would unravel in front of the world.

~TDC~

I was standing in front of the mansion . . . again. No one stopped me this time. It was early, too early!

Like the day before, several people were sitting in the huge hall. They seemed unaware of my presence. I wasn't important . . . yet. I stood at the entrance of the room and observed quietly. Most of them were in their early twenties and thirties, while some were forty. There was only one- a young boy -who seemed to be the center of attraction in the room. They were teasing him about some girl and hollering when he answered and blushed.

_Seth._

My phone went off and everyone in the room seemed to jump from their places. I sighed and looked at the ID.

_Private number._

"_Come into my office," _he said sharply and then hung up. _Asshole._

I made my way towards his office, without acknowledging anyone else in the room and stopped in front of the door.

"Come in," I heard him say. I sighed and entered the room. He was sitting on the leather chair with his gun in his hand. He seemed to be cleaning his gun, preparing for something.

It seemed like this was the day the newcomer would be welcomed. It was going to be a display of brute power and intelligence. He was going to make sure that I understood how powerful he was.

_Bring it on, _I thought to myself and smiled.

"Good morning, Isabella. I hope you slept well last night?" His lips twisted into a smile as he raised an eyebrow at me. I gave him the blank look I had come to resort to when I didn't want to show my feelings.

I nodded slightly, and he seemed to be pleased.

"We're going to introduce you to the others today." He smiled at me without any malice or amusement in his eyes. There was warmth in his smile that I never thought I would see. I couldn't understand him.

Either he was a very good actor and fucking with my mind, or he had a split personality disorder.

He led me back to the hall where the people were still sitting in silence and waiting. They all turned around when they heard us enter. They were all smiling . . . all except one.

Victoria.

"Everyone!" Anthony shouted. Everyone stared at him as he began speaking, "Welcome Isabella to the Masen family. She has passed her tests and now is going to be among us for a long time."

"But bo-" Victoria was cut of abruptly as Edward raised his hand.

"She will assist me when we are on ground zero." They all seemed surprised at that. It was common for someone of my age to join a mob, at twenty one; I was more than of age to take such decisions. But it was uncommon for a newcomer to have a key position; it took years to gain the trust of the boss and have excellent skills. On the other hand, it took immense manipulation to hold your place and climb up the ladder. The others would try to pull you down like crabs do. The jealousy and malice was something to be avoided. It seemed as though Anthony had pushed me into the lion's den without informing me.

Accompanying the boss was like winning a lottery for those who cared. It was the position in which you would act like a bodyguard if your boss was weak and a partner if he was strong. It seemed he was giving me the role of his partner.

To say that I was scared would be an understatement. I hadn't planned on becoming so popular within the first few months. It was like my silent promise to Victoria had been fulfilled before time.

"And to top it all, she is going to be replacing our dearest Demetri here," he said pleasantly. My head whipped around. I heard gasps. I turned to look at the one I remembered from the day I had been 'interviewed' by Anthony. I was replacing him? WHAT?

"Boss, what's going on? I don't understand . . ." He trailed off, confusion getting the better part of him. He gulped once and stared at the floor.

"Well, didn't Demetri tell you all? I planned on sending him on a long vacation. With all the work he's been doing recently, we wouldn't want him to wear out, right?" It felt like you could cut the tension in the room. It was suffocating.

"A vacation?" Victoria voiced. I had never heard of someone on the mob getting a vacation;, it was work twenty-four seven!

"Yes. Why don't we all sit down and I'll explain?" Anthony smiled. There was a wicked glint in his eyes.

Anthony led me towards the open bar, pulling Demetri with him. My curiosity was growing. _How does this man work?_

"Someone bring Demtri a chair!" A man in the corner stood up and brought in a chair. "Sit down," he ordered. Demetri gulped again and sat down. Anthony sat down on the bar table and put his legs on the edge of the chair. "Now most of you must be wondering what all this is about. Yes, Demetri is going to go on a very long vacation. Know why?" No one answered. "Demetri has consistently done a great job!" he exclaimed.

Demtri was fidgeting like a child who had been caught stealing.

"Don't get nervous," Anthony told him.

_Oh, no._

"Why don't you tell them what you have been up to?" Anthony's voice lowered as he spoke. His eyes grew darker as he waited for the reply.

"Boss-"

"He's an informer. He's been stealing from us. Now . . . what should we do to him?" Anthony put his leg on Demetri's thighs roughly, making him yelp. He slid off from the bar and walked around it to pull out a bottle of whiskey.

He poured himself a glass, his eyes still trained on Demetri- his prey. Demetri on the other hand, sat unmoving, waiting for Anthony's wrath.

It never came.

I watch him in wonder as he calmly downed the whiskey and then poured himself another glass. The room was silent, everyone was observing him. Anthony didn't react like most would have. Most people in this world would have just killed the bastard already, but no, not him. He had to do everything differently. He had to be intriguing.

He sat down on the counter again and placed his foot on Demetri's thigh, again. He looked at me curiously and then smiled wickedly.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" he asked with amusement. My eyes travelled to Demetri again. He was squirming in his chair, playing with his fingers nervously, probably hoping he would have an easy death.

I didn't think that was possible. Anthony seemed too calm to put an end to the scene too soon.

He waved his hand for me to proceed and I sighed deeply. He was building the tension so that the end would be more shocking to the onlookers.

"My name is Isabella Marie, and I'm the newest member of the family," I said in a monotone. People furrowed their eyes and frowned at my brief introduction. I didn't understand what they would want to know. They wouldn't want me to tell them the tale of my life, would they?

I almost rolled my eyes.

Anthony gave me an incredulous look. I might have given him a look which said 'what-the-fuck-is-your-problem'. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

"Isabella here wanted to be a cop when she was a kid and serve the people-" I heard a series of snorts, but others remained silent, looking anywhere except me in fear of revealing their true dreams. "-but as it turns out, she has chosen the highway to hell!" They all laughed with him. Even I smiled a little.

They all respected him, I could see that. They would probably give their lives for this man-well, some of them, at least.

"Yeah," I said with a smile.

I heard a distinct cough from beside me and saw Demetri tapping his foot impatiently. For a man who was going to die, he was utterly irritable. Normally people would let the pursuers talk a hell lot so that they could live for a few more minutes.

_Interesting turn of events, indeed._

"Oh yes, Demetri." Anthony walked towards him until he towered over Demetri, looked down at him with an amused expression. "How could I forget you?"

Demetri remained silent as Anthony circled his chair once to inspect him and then gave a satisfied sigh. "How could I forget you?" he teased.

He sauntered back towards the counter and placed the glass of whiskey on it and reached back into the back pocket of his jeans to pull out his gun. Demetri gulped audibly at the sight of the loaded gun.

But to my utter surprise, Anthony detached the magazine out and removed all the bullets from it one by one and put them on the counter. "Join me," he said smoothly, holding his hand out to me. I stared at his hands for a moment, before taking it.

_Let the games begin._

"Put these bullets in the glass for me, will you." He leaned back on the counter just beside where he had kept the glass and bullets. I nodded, refusing to show my confusion and collected the bullets in my hand. They made clinks as they hit the bottom of the glass. All the while, I was aware of Anthony's presence. His hands brushed against mine as I worked on the given task. I took the glass in my hands and turned to him. He had a satisfied grin on his face. He looked down at me, his eyes twinkling in pleasure as I handed him the glass of whiskey.

He tilted his head to a side as if to say a silent 'thank you', and turned to Demetri.

"I would like to thank him for providing excellent service throughout his stay." His eyes never left Demetri as he addressed the others. "I've had my drink, but you look thirsty. Why don't you enjoy the drink I've made for you? It's my specialty!" His spoke as if he was actually celebrating and asking others to join him. He was a brilliant actor and a master manipulator.

Even though it embittered me to admit it, he was a genius. The FBI, CBI and any other organizations would never be able to touch him. _A genius, _I tested the word in my mind yet again.

Demetri shook his head slightly, nervously wondering if he did the right thing. It pleased Anthony to no end. He was having fun seeing him squirm and suffer. It wasn't anything new; it was a standard method many such people used- using the mind to torture. But the way he was doing it . . . it was a slow burn, consuming everything so slowly that death seemed like a better option.

Anthony's expression changed abruptly. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his teeth grinding, and his jaw tense. He was by the chair in a second, and in the next, kicking its legs so hard that it gave away. I saw Demetri crash to the floor before hearing the sound of wood snapping.

Demetri was curled up on the ground holding his left arm on which he had landed on, but he made no sound. Anthony was kneeling by his side again, flipping him over by the shoulder. His hands gripped the glass of whiskey painfully hard as he grabbed Demetri's chin and yanked his head up.

"Cheers to you," he growled as he brought the glass to Demetri's lips and tilted it until the whole whiskey was poured down.

Demetri coughed and spat out as much as he could. He gagged as the bullets hit his throat, but couldn't turn his head and throw up because of Anthony's firm grip.

After a few seconds of tormenting Demetri, Anthony let go of his jaws and raised himself up. He combed his hand through his hair.

His breathing was harsh, his eyes dark with anger.

His eyes snapped to me. "Get your gun." I nodded. I pulled the gun out from my left boot and held it by my side. "Shoot," he instructed.

My hands didn't shake. I lifted my hand up, aimed for his forehead and fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the room. All fell silent again, waiting for Anthony's next move. He turned to look at Demetri's lifeless body.

It was as if I could see the fire disappearing from his eyes. His eyes were calm and collected.

"Clean this up," Anthony ordered. "Isabella, please follow me." I did as he asked. He headed back to his office with me trailing behind him.

His walk was confident. I could compare it to the walk of a lion- majestic and strong.

He entered his office, grabbed his cell phone and spoke harshly into the phone. I waited for him to give me further instruction. It took a while for him to settle down and finally look at me.

"I hope you enjoyed the little show," he mumbled under his breath. He was still angry. There was a storm inside him that he couldn't quench even after he had finished off Demetri.

"Immensely," I said loudly. His eyes snapped to me, and he frowned.

"Of course you did." He shook his head. "I'm impressed that you didn't hesitate to kill," he said with a raised eyebrow. "It was a test of course- to see how well you follow orders and handle situations." He added the last part quickly.

_Sure!_

"So you kill a member every time someone new comes in?" I challenged.

"No, this was a rather inviting change," he grumbled. "But you have done a good job. We'll be a great team." His smirk was back in place. I rolled my eyes before giving a quick nod.

"You're expected at my beck and call. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Understood?" I nodded. I couldn't question his authority when he gave no scope for an answer.

"You can leave now," he said, pointing at the door and putting his attention to a bunch of papers.

I pressed my lips together, wondering what I should do and decided that I should leave.

"Have a good day, Anthony," I mumbled before leaving the room.

~TDC~

I was lying on my bed with my eyes closed. My wet hair stuck against my skin. The shower had relaxed me after I had gotten home.

Suddenly, I heard the bell ring and jumped up. I ran to the door and opened it, only to find a man delivering a parcel. I signed after asking who the parcel was from. I received no answer.

Just to be safe, I pulled out the watch and waved it over the box. Rosalie had mentioned something about it having an X-ray scanner. It showed nothing suspicious, so I opened the parcel to find a cardboard box. I opened it.

_A black rose._

There was a note stuck inside the box. I pulled it out and read it carefully. My eyes widened as I registered the words.

'_No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death and with his title greet Macbeth._

_What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. –Duncan, Act 1 scene 2. (Macbeth, William Shakespeare)_

_Love,_

_Jasper.'_

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_A/N: So... What do you think? I know most of you are hiding in the wings, not leaving me a word of courage. *pouts* I'm hurt! Anyway, before you question me, I apologize. I'm having a tough time. I need to think and feel before I write. Oh the banner of the story is on my profile. Check it out! And you all know where to find me. I'm always on facebook and twitter. Come find me! :P  
_

_Comments are better than receiving a black rose. :D  
_


	5. Smoke

**I know that I've been gone for what seems like years, but you guys got to hear me out! My computer is not functioning properly, neither is the internet connection. So I can't write. To top it all my email is going through some sort of problem so I can't send the chapters. You'll be surprised to know that right now I'm sitting between creepy men gawking at the computer screen. :P **

**Thanks to Shasta53 for the support and her superpowers. :3 She's my savior, ;) **

* * *

**The Dangerous Corner**

* * *

**Smoke**

* * *

I read the note again and again. I wasn't sure if I should feel threatened. Though the note seemed to be a bit smug in tone, it didn't seem like the person who wrote it would do something . . . yet. Maybe I could let it go. I had enough on my plate to worry about and I was putting a lot of pressure on Rosalie Hale, too. She wouldn't appreciate me throwing another assignment at her.

'_No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death and with his title greet Macbeth._

_What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. _

I read it again, and sighed. This mystery man didn't exist until a day ago and now he's sending me notes?

I twirled the rose in my hand and flinched as it pricked my skin. A drop of blood surfaced, and I pulled my finger to my mouth and sucked on it. This was it. This black rose was a sign. Jasper was either very dangerous or very helpful. He was a huge risk in the case, and if he turned out to be on Anthony's side . . . I shuddered at the thought.

What if he was? Anthony called me his 'kitten' that day . . . I was so preoccupied with trying to convince myself that he didn't recognize me that I forgot to actually find out if he did recognize me.

I was pretty sure that I would have to put Rosalie on my speed dial. I had been calling her way more times than I had ever called Jacob in a span of a week's time.

_Love, Jasper_

I dialed her number.

"Rosalie Hale," she said in a cold voice.

"Rosalie, I need to ask you something." I was a bit hesitant to ask her, sure that she would ask me why I was asking such stupid questions. I sighed.

"Yes?" she was paying full attention, now.

"How easy is it to dig up information on someone related to our organization?" I heard her breath catch. She already guessed.

"It depends on the level of secrecy the organization wants to keep for that particular person. Why do you ask?" I laughed a little, knowing full well that she was panicking.

"So Agent Jasper is high priority?"

"Yes. It seems so. All information I could get was that he was on his first official mission with your mom and dad, but then his records are clean. It's as if he just went missing from the face of the earth. He was either killed or he left the organization. I couldn't get anything on him. He's a secret. I wanted to set up a meeting with the chief, but it seems hardly fair. He isn't involved in this case, and it would be wrong to divert our attention from our goal. We are going to take out Anthony Masen. We should forget about Jasper. It will only waste our time." I could hear the shuffling of paper in the background.

"I received a package half an hour ago. Believe me, Jasper is very much alive. I don't know how he's involved in the case, but I have a very bad feeling that ignoring him is going to come back to bite us in the ass."

"I'm telling you, you're wasting your time. I know we were told that we should work as a team, but we need to steer off of the whole thing. Jasper isn't an issue. If he sends you something, throw it out. If you feel threatened, then leave it be."

"That's not very wise." I snapped at her.

"Well, I've got a lot on my mind. I need to clean up your records, make you look like you're a civilian gone wrong." Her voice became angrier as she spoke.

"What about Anthony? Can he access my files?" I ground my teeth together as I tried not to scream at her.

"I'm working on it. There has been no breach in the system yet; no one has hacked into the system and checked for your details." I pinched the bridge of my nose as I thanked God.

"Seth is good . . . watch out." With that, I hung up. Rosalie was going to be pissed, but I needed to be sure. There were too many people involved, and with Rosalie onboard, it felt as if one wrong step could mess everything up. That was always the case, but this- this uncanny feeling that the worst would happen-made my nerves buzz. I was being edgy and jumpy. I could snap with all the tension flowing through my body.

Jasper.

Anthony.

Mom.

Dad.

So many mysteries-so many questions I had no answer to. I had read the files; I had been in the presence of Anthony. He was a ruthless man, but somehow I felt that he didn't kill my mother. He was arrogant and reckless-shit!

I couldn't take anymore, and I had already begun to come in contact with the bitter truth of my life. This mission would alter me. It would bare me to the world of evil I had known very little despite my years in the organization.

At this moment, I wasn't sure I could trust anyone. Hell, I wasn't sure I could trust myself.

I had always been taught to go with my instinct and now it was confused between digging out more about Jasper and running away from everything. It told me to walk my steps and glance over my shoulder to see if someone was following me. I tried to hold myself together.

Maybe I was going mad. I needed to get out.

How?

_I need to find out about Anthony. This is not about me or my stupid emotions! I need to kill him._

_No. I wouldn't run. This is just me being paranoid. I'm safe. My resolve will not crumble. I will finish what I started. I'm not weak. I'm not pathetic. I'm strong and brave. I'll take them all out, one by one, painfully. I'll save Anthony for last._

Even as I said those words in my mind, I could hear how crazy I sounded. I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes and then a smile spread across my features.

Keep calm and pave the way to the day you've been waiting to see.

'Relax, it's not like you're going to die!' I thought as I searched for a contained to put the black rose in. It was, no doubt, a beautiful little thing. I looked like death-beautiful and stagnant, cold and untouched by time. It was the ashes of love that hid the sparks of fire brewing beneath it. It was . .

It was like smoke.

I took in a cleansing breath and tried to formulate a plan to get more information about Anthony. For now, we knew how he looked, who Seth was, what crimes Anthony had committed, but I had to find out how he had gone through with them.

I jumped when my phone started to vibrate. _So much for being always prepared,_ I snorted. It was a text message from Anthony. I glared at the screen as I read what he had written. He had asked me to dress for the 'hunt', and be at the 'Poseidon's Realm' club by ten.

Why couldn't he be like Jasper? Send me a gift to accompany a not so subtle command . . . He could do that!

_Yeah, because he's your boss, _I answered myself bitterly.

And here I was thinking receiving mysterious notes was bad. This Anthony Masen should be hanged for mistreating people.

Imbecile mobsters.

I hate them!

_Shit. I can't let him affect me this much. Concentrate on the mission, Bella!_

It was about seven in the evening, and I had three hours to go. I sank onto the couch on the living room and flipped through the channels on the television. When I realized that the news was getting particularly boring, it was almost eight.

I hurried to my bedroom and wondered what I'd wear. I remembered Anthony's expression from earlier. I hadn't worn any revealing clothes on the two occasions we'd met and to say that he had been disappointed would be an understatement. This time, I would show him. The memories of him trying to unbutton my jacket flashed through my mind. Oh, yes. I'd be wearing a jacket again.

I couldn't help, but keep the grin off of my face as I opened my closet and looked on the rows of clothes that adorned the shelves.

Black. I was definitely wearing black.

I pulled out my black leather jacket that hugged my curves just right and brushed my hand over the collar. It was beautiful, my favorite. I was going for the whole predator look as Anthony had suggested . . . literally.

I painted my eyelids in leopard prints, put on a nude colored gloss, painted my nail a shiny black and put on my mascara.

_Your wish is my command_, I thought to myself smugly.

I slipped into my clothes and stared at myself in satisfaction. I hope this is enough for you, my dear old Anthony. I winked at my reflection and then slung my jacket over my arm.

.oooO

There was a small line of people standing outside the club, waiting for their turn. I walked past them, ignoring their protests, and smiled at the bouncer.

"Your name?" he asked eyeing my breasts.

"She's with me," Anthony said. He was standing right behind the bouncer, his eyes trained on me as he smiled. I could see that he was impressed. I had put my jacket on while I was in the car. By the look on his face, he definitely liked the jacket. As much as I relished the feel of the leather against my skin, I knew it needed to go as soon as we entered the club. Anthony held his hand out to me, and without a second of hesitation, I took it and followed him into the club.

Now that I took a closer look, he looked more domineering as the blue and purple lights illuminated his face. He turned his head towards me, a smile on his face and shouted over the booming music. "Welcome to Poseidon's Realm, Isabella." I tilted my head to a side and fiddled with my necklace. His eyes darted to my hands and his smile grew. "I see that you've worn a jacket again, my kitten," he said lightly. I couldn't help it, I laughed.

"Something funny?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head before unbuttoning the jacket, slowly. His smile vanished instantly. His eyes traveled lower as my hands did, and his eyes grew hungry.

_Tut tut, Anthony._

I slipped out of the jacket and waited for him to calm down. He held his hand out towards me, after taking enough time to compose himself. I handed him the jacket and walked past him. He stood there, frozen for a moment and then his brows furrowed together. He shook his head and then followed me.

I had no idea where I was going, but I could feel his eyes on me. He was watching my every move; he was taking the bait.

_Mystery . . ._

The word came back to me. I snapped my eyes shut to push it back. Maybe Rosalie was right, what good would sleeping with him do? He wasn't stupid enough to think with this dick. He was a mob boss, for God's sake; he didn't reach this height in a day . . .

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the bar, staring at the bartender.

"One White Russian, please."

"So you like it sweet and creamy?" The voice was just a whisper. I could barely hear Anthony over the music, but I could feel his hot breath against my ears. Before I could say a word, he spoke again. "Ron, bring the drinks up to VIP area." The bartender nodded and silently went back to taking orders. "Now!" I wish I could feel bad for the bartender at that moment. I didn't. I was actually amused by Anthony's irritation. I tapped on his shoulder, trying hard to conceal my amusement, but he saw it the moment he turned to face me.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Isabella." He eyes flicked to my lips as I licked them and his trademark smirk was back on his lips in no time. "Shall we?" he asked, pushing his hand towards me. I looked at it for a moment, as if to contemplate and slid my hand into his. His hands were warm and rough against mine. Anthony's long fingers grasped mine in his grip and then he led me towards the VIP area.

He wasn't dragging me with him, he was simply welcoming me- guiding me. I stared at our joined hands and felt my brows furrow. It felt… odd. My palm felt like it had been set on fire—well metaphorically.

The purple and blue lights dulled into a softer tone which hurt my eyes at first. In the dimness of the room, I actually saw Anthony. His sharp jaws, his green eyes looking around the room, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped, his white shirt which he had unbuttoned two buttons, his loose grey tie, his grey suit . . . His eyelashes left dark shadows under his eyes as he turned to me.

"The others will be joining us soon," he said with a sigh. I hadn't expected the disappointment that radiated from him.

"What are we going to discuss today?" I asked, curiosity evident in my voice.

"Recovery." I raised a brow at him. "Demetri's stunt has left us at a loss. I was quick in killing him, but we needed him." His lips curled over his teeth as he growled. He stepped forward and sank down on the couch placed in front of the glass wall. Through the tinted glass, he stared at the masses of people who danced and sang along.

"How important was Demetri?"

"Not important," he snapped.

"You needed his help; that means he was important," I stated matter-of-factly.

"I didn't need his help! I needed him alive for a little bit longer. He just had to slip up and ruin my plans!" He clawed at the mess of his hair so hard that he might as well have pulled it out. I gulped, waiting for him to say more, but he didn't give any more away.

"He was important," I said sternly.

"Ugh!" His head snapped up at me. "Don't try to be smart with me, Isabella. You're playing with fire here." He had stood up and now sauntered towards me. I retreated until I felt my back press against the cool of the glass. His hands were on either side of my head and his head inches from mine. I was staring directly into his green eyes that were filled with anger.

"I can do away with you just like I did with Demetri; you don't mean a thing to me," he sneered. I didn't flinch back. It was obvious that I was important. He just wouldn't admit it.

But why was I important?

_Run!_

"He was important," I said again, my voice cold and filled with finality.

"He was trouble. He shouldn't have poked his nose in my business. Now I need to start from scratch." By this point I didn't know if he was talking about Demetri.

His gaze shifted away from mine, and he looked over my shoulder. He took in a deep breath and then let his hand fall to his sides. "Sit down," he ordered as he straightened his clothes and backed away from me. I leaned away from the glass, standing tall and ready for his next jibe.

The knock at the door interrupted us. It was the bartender from earlier, holding a tray of drinks.

My eyes flickered to Anthony who openly glared at the poor bartender.

"Don't make me wait, Ron. I'm a busy man," he taunted. Ron's expression didn't change. He lithely came into the room, placed the drinks on the table at the side of the couch, and left without a word. I would say he was used to it.

The others entered the room one after the other and scattered across the room, all eyes on Anthony.

Anthony, on the other hand, leaned forward to pick his drink up and gulped it down. The only sound that could be heard over the blasting music was that of the harsh and nervous breathing of the people scattered across the room. No one dared to move a muscle. It was fascinating to observe the amount of control Anthony had over these people. They were lethal assassins and could easily leave his side, but he held them all together. He made them fear him. Such was the power of Anthony Masen.

"Demetri is dead," he began. I hear the sharp intakes of breath in the small crowd. I looked around to read the expression on everyone's faces. One particular person caught my notice. Seth, the hacker, was looking directly at me, his eyes filled with question. I stared back at him, silently asking him to look away. His eyes shifted back to Anthony who was now facing the mobsters in the room.

"Alec, I need you to search the dock again, find out where he hid the shipments. I need the losses recovered within two weeks." The blonde haired boy, who had a constipated look on his face just nodded. He was in trouble because the shipments had been stolen from under his nose. "Eric, find out who Demetri was working for exactly, take the men under you and a few of the other people present in this room." Eric opened his mouth to say something, but Anthony cut him off. "I know that you have your doubts, but we can't go in blindly with what you _think_ happened," he snapped. "Get to work, Eric. Now!" Eric went out of the door silently, without a glance back.

What was the plan that Demetri ruined? How did it affect him so much? This was it. At last I had something concrete to work on.

"Seth!" Anthony barked. The boy jumped back, startled by the harshness in Anthony's voice. "Trace the people who hacked into our system. I want to know how they found the loop." Seth gulped, but said nothing to protest.

"Isabella." My eyes were focused on him. His shoulders were pushed back, his eyes were darker, and his jaw was clenched. "How much do you know about computers?" His voice was low, his question meant to be answered in negative.

"I know a few things," I admitted hoarsely, letting him win for the moment. I had never faced his anger in full force, and I had no intension of experiencing it firsthand. He grinned, the anger fading slowly from his eyes.

"You'll be joining Seth. I hope you learn something productive." I nodded and waited till he dismissed everyone. He didn't.

I sauntered to where my drink was and grabbed it. Taking a sip, I turned my back towards Anthony Masen and exited the room. I felt satisfied walking away from Anthony.

I found myself at the bar again, sitting on a stool and looking at the people who moved to the music. It was a mixture of intense passion and alcohol. Everyone danced without inhibition, throwing their heads back, letting their bodies go with the music.

"Another drink?" I heard the bartender say.

"Of course, Mr. Bartender," I said with a slight smile.

"Mixologist," he grumbled.

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused. He shook his head as he poured me my drink.

"I'm a mixologist," he clarified. "I want to make my passion reach another level." I nodded, impressed by the intensity of his need to fulfill his goal. "So, tell me, why are you here with my boss?"

"Your boss?" I snorted. "To be honest? He never got to the point!" I whispered conspiratorially. His lips broke into a smile. "You're used to his . . . rudeness?"

"He's usually a pretty cool guy. Tips a lot and hangs around with the crowd, but he's in a foul mood today. I've learned to go with it." He rolled his eyes. I chuckled under my breath, imagining how Anthony would ever mix in with the normal crowd.

"You should go ahead and dance, you know?" The bar-oops, mixologist-said after a long time. I quirked a brow at him. "Go ahead." He laughed. I shook my head and downed my second White Russian. I felt the tingling sensation in my body.

"Thanks," I mumbled before blending into the crowd. This time I _felt_ the crush of people _moving_. It was hypnotic. I let myself go. I swayed with the music, letting my hands do what they wanted.

It was as if I was flying. I could feel the heat radiating from my body as I moved my hips and combed my hair with my hand.

I looked up to the sky, a smile spreading across my lips as I traced my sides with my fingers. I tugged at the end of the dress and then slid my hand up my body again.

I shuddered as I felt the heat of another body near me.

Hands grabbed onto my hips and guided my unruly motions. Chest pressed against my back, making me push back. Hips grinding into me, making me lose my mind. His grip on me tightened and he spun me around.

I was met with the familiar green pairs of eyes. The anger in them was lost and lust took its place.

He licked his lips as he let go of my hips and took two steps back. I stared at him wide eyed, as he pulled his coat off and threw it away.

The crowd was still moving, but they had moved away from the two of us, I noticed. At that very moment, I couldn't care less about what the crowd was doing. My mind was still buzzing with the need to move and my body begged for me to follow my mind.

I took two steps back, and when I closed my eyes to let my inhibitions go, I could feel the heat of our bodies again. He had moved closer to me.

Close enough for me to feel his presence.

We didn't touch. We just moved with the music. I didn't know if we were synchronized or not, but something in the air changed. It was more intense, the need to move was replaced with the need to hold.

I didn't have to wait for long.

His hands snaked onto my hips as he guided my moves. I suddenly realized that the atmosphere of the club had only intensified our passion. Our anger had not dissipated, but the heat of passion that radiated from us was enough to make me high.

I kept moving my hips, unsure if I should walk away. I took in a deep shuddering breath and then opened my eyes. His dark green eyes held no amusement. They were wild, trained on my face, waiting for me to look up at them.

The blue and purple light made his eyes glitter. His pale face looked like that of an angel, an angel set out to destroy me. I gulped past the lump in my throat, contemplating my next move, trying to choose wisely. But all I could feel was the heat of his body, the feel of his skin against mine, separated by our clothes. I couldn't help but notice how my body just wanted to grind against his. I didn't want to resist my body's need to feel him closer, impossibly closer. It was wrong . . . but I still wanted it. There was a small part of my mind that screamed at me to pull away, slap his hands away and leave. I just . . . couldn't.

I gave up. I put my arms around his neck and took in a deep breath. He smelled like expensive aftershave. His lips parted as he stared down at me, his eyes hovering at my lips. His hold on my hips tightened as he gently nudged my legs apart and placed his leg between them. He held me up as my knees threatened to give away, he crushed his body to mine, leaving no place for moving away, and crouched down until his lips almost touched my forehead. Anthony moved his hips against mine like there was no tomorrow. We ground together, changing our paces rapidly, pushing and pulling, moving away and coming back together. Our breathing grew heavier, but our bodies didn't fail to move with the other.

He pushed against my waist, making me spin once. I moved away from him, seemingly having enough for the day, but he grabbed me again, pulling me back into him. My head hit his hard chest, and he chuckled as I let out a groan. He ground against me shamelessly, not caring about the others surrounding us. His hands slid down just like mine had before and as if he had memorized the way my hands moved, he repeated the same, only this time it took me higher than before. His hands were not gentle as they tugged at my dress. I looked down at where his hands were touching me. My dress had ridden up considerably. His hands roamed over the naked skin of my thighs.

I could hear his breathing grow heavier as I slid my hands down his forearms, stopping his hands from their ministrations. I pulled them away from my legs and placed them on my waist again. My hands went to his thighs as I held him, making my hips grind harder. Anthony let out a groan as he turned me around. My hands went around his shoulders again. His hand fisted my hair gently as he dipped me. His lips slightly brushed over my chin to the hollow of my throat. He kissed my collar bone and then his hot breath met my shoulders. He pulled me up again. It was just the two of us, waiting for the other to say something. He tugged against my hair pulling my head back as he let his hands go down my body again. He clutched at the back of my knee, pulling it up so that it was around his waist and then pulled me even closer than before. His lips were at my ear, and the sound of his heavy breathing was all I could hear.

"Breathe," he mumbled against my ear. I blinked once, looking up at him. I stared at how his Adam's apple bobbed. He leaned in, his face barely an inch away from mine.

"Tell me that you want this." His lips were right there, not pressing, but barely brushing against mine. His breath against my lips felt divine, the vibration of his words against my lips drove me crazy. I closed my eyes again, inhaling his scent and in that very instant, the decision was made.

* * *

**Have you ever gone dirty dancing? What do you think these two will do? What decision has Bella made? So many questions...**

**If you have any confusion about what is going on, feel free to ask me. :) I promise that all the secrets will be revealed as the story proceeds. :D**

**The last chapter had the lowest number of reviews. :/ But I was glad that so many people left me messages saying that I should think about updating. :P**

**I'm going on a school trip for two weeks, so I won't be able to reply. But do leave me some love. **

**Until next time...**


	6. Judgement

**Another month has gone by and I still haven't replied to any of your reviews. I am extremely sorry for that! You will be proud to know that this story of ours has been recognized! :D Fic Central has posted about it and I'm still grinning like a fool about it! You are wonderful readers. Thank you for all the adds and the comments. :)**

**Thanks to Shasta53 for being the butter to my bread. Thanks to snowflakelover for being a darling and pimping me out (not to mention engaging me in conversation when I can't write.). And to Archer... for well doing nothing. The boy loves to see his name on the net. *rolls eyes***

* * *

**The Dangerous Corner**

* * *

**Judgment**

"Tell me that you want this." His lips were right there, not pressing, but barely brushing against mine. His breath against my lips felt divine, the vibration of his words against my lips drove me crazy. I closed my eyes again, inhaling his scent and in that very instant, the decision was made.

"No." I could barely believe myself as the words came out from my lips. I had been _this _much closer to win him, but I pulled back. I couldn't look into his eyes as I took a few hurried steps backwards. My hands were trembling as I moved away. My lips felt cold without the warmth of his breath, but that wasn't all.

When I looked up to his eyes, I could see the confusion in them even as the bright lights assaulted my eyes. I shook my head once, just to make sure that my intentions were clear and turned back to leave.

"You can't just leave like that!" His harsh words were low and rushed. I looked over my shoulder at him and just shrugged. I wasn't sure that I could speak.

His hands were on my shoulder right that instant.

"You can't leave like that." He was calmer now; the harshness in his words gone, but his words now resembled a command. Just like that he had snapped the intensity of our exchange. The need for his touch was gone. His words brought back the bitterness that had been hiding behind the curtains and unleashed in full force. I didn't wait for him to speak any further, knowing that he would try his best to lure me back to him. I slapped away the hand he had placed on my shoulder and stomped away from the dance floor.

The seat I was previously occupying was taken up by a middle aged man with blonde hair. He turned towards me as I ordered the bartender another drink and smiled politely. For some odd reason he rose from the stool and walked away.

I took the seat anyway, and stared around the club once again to see the crowd. The crowd was smaller now. People moved lazily around each other. Most of them were either too drunk or too busy kissing or groping their partners. It was amusing to say the least, until I realized that I was an active member of the latter just moments ago.

_Shame on me!_

My eyes furrowed as I sipped the drink and wondered why exactly I had pulled back.

I admit that the decision was instantaneous, but I must have had some reason to pull back. Now that I thought about it, it must have been Rosalie's words that had subconsciously enforced my decision. What had she said again?

_A good mystery never reveals the story in the first few pages . . . the urge to know keeps us from putting the book down._

So I'm going to have to keep him on his toes.

_I sound like a stalker, _I thought to myself with a frown. But Rosalie's words were clear in their meaning. Leave them hints of what is to come, but not enough to show them the ending.

I'm pretty sure that Rosalie had tried to talk me out of using my body to get through this mission, but I'd only twisted her words . . . a little.

But was the trick going to work on Anthony? He was notorious _and_ smart. He wouldn't let me win these games. He was an older, confident man who knew what he was doing. He could handle women as artistically as he handled the gun. He knew how to push people's buttons and keep them guessing. He was a sinner with extremely manipulative thoughts that added to his appeal.

Men like him are usually charismatic. That's why women fall in love with the so called 'bad boys'. The only difference is these mobsters aren't just bad, they are monsters that feed on the pain of others. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to fall in love with him because I knew who he was, but I would lust after him. The connection we shared on the dance floor was just a glimpse of how good we could be together. He knew that the moment he held that gun against my throat the first day.

I didn't know if he had killed my mother or not, but I did know that I had been assigned the task of finding valuable information about his mob family, and I would try my best. The bigger and more important question would be if he knew what I was up to. I wanted to trust Rosalie, but Anthony had been in the game for longer than her, and he knew all the dirty tricks and loopholes.

"You are a good dancer," the bartender said. I smiled at him, unsure of what I was supposed to say to that.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was that?" His voice filled with amusement as he spoke the words. I raised an eyebrow at him. "You know . . . your dance partner and you . . ." he probed.

"Aren't you a little too nosey to be a bartender?" I smirked, knowing full well that he hated to be called a 'bartender'.

"Call me Rob," he said with a laugh. "I have to admit, everyone had a good time watching you!" He winked. _He winked! _

I gave out a loud laugh, and he joined me. "It was quite a show, wasn't it?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"I've never seen the boss dance like that! If he was in a foul mood earlier, he is going to be furious now! You just walked away."

"You're too talkative for your own good." I rolled my eyes at his fascination about his boss dancing with me.

"That's what we do. We talk to our customers and sweet talk them into leaving us handsome tips." His eyes glittered with amusement as I pulled out some cash and bent over the bar to tuck it in his breast pocket.

"There you go," I said, satisfied with myself. "You've accomplished the task of receiving a handsome tip from me." I took a turn to wink at him. It didn't seem to affect him.

_He must have dozens of women asking him out in their drunken glory._

"Uh . . ." He seemed nervous all of a sudden. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but I don't think that you want to turn around." Curiosity got the better of me and I turned around, ignoring Rob's protests.

There were very few people left on the dance floor. At one corner of it was Anthony dancing his ass off with some red haired chick.

Victoria.

I took a moment to look at Anthony.

He was holding her by her ass and guiding her movements. He was a really good dancer, but his partner was shit. He was kissing her roughly, probably shoving his tongue into her throat, but she didn't seem to protest.

My mouth became dry as I watched them.

_Desperate much, Anthony?_

I rolled my eyes and looked back to the smirking Rob again.

"Jealous?" he mouthed. I narrowed my eyes at him, but didn't reply.

_I wasn't jealous. The man was fast in getting over refusals. I'm certainly in awe of him, _I snickered to myself.

"It's getting late, don't you think?" I sighed.

"If it makes you feel better, she doesn't hold a candle against you," he chuckled.

"Now that comment just blew it!" I burst out laughing. "She'll probably have you by the balls if she gets to know that you compared her to me." I couldn't hold back the fits of laughter. "But we should draw the line here. I'm new, and I don't want any problems." He nodded sagely, acting as if he knew what I was talking about.

"Rob." Victoria appeared out of nowhere. "You have other customers to serve," she hissed.

"Victoria, you seem . . . frustrated," I teased.

"Shouldn't you be doing some work?"

"Not really. I can't see the little hacker anywhere, so I'm taking a break." I made a kissy face at her just to get a reaction out of her, and boy, was I surprised. She seemed ready to explode. I think she even stomped her foot.

"You little bitch! You're new here, so keep your distance. Poseidon's Realm is mine. I'm the boss here. You keep your claws away from what's mine, and I leave you alone." She warned. It was clear to me that she wasn't talking about the club at all; she was talking about her precious Anthony grinding against me a few minutes back.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is that rude man of yours?" I snickered as she narrowed her eyes at me.

"None of your business, kid." I rolled my eyes at the 'adorable' new nickname she had given me. I was looking forward to her 'affectionate' name calling in the future. At least she could try harder and actually insult me.

"I take it that you're pissed because your man meat took off?" I asked, knowing well that I was hitting a sore spot. Her eyes narrowed further—if that was possible—and I saw her hands ball into fists as she tried to restrain herself. "Are you going to hit me, Granny?" and boy did it work! She looked like she would combust.

She was probably in her early thirties and there was no doubt that she was beautiful with her flaming red hair framing her face, but I couldn't understand how someone could find her attractive when she had that grimace on her face. It seemed to be there at all times and made her look unattractive and definitely scary enough to not get anywhere near her in a lovey-dovey way.

"Don't think that I didn't notice how you were gripping onto Anthony, you bitch. Anthony has plans for you, and I trust him, so I'll let you be . . . for now. Think before you act, sweetie. You might end up becoming food for those dogs Anthony entertains." At those words, I raised my eyebrows. She returned my look with a glare. Even she thought those mobsters were imbeciles. That was good to know. Apparently, we had something in common.

"Thanks for the warning, redhead." I smirked. "You do realize you were second choice, right?" She knew exactly what I was talking about. "So, I'm not the one in danger of becoming dog food here," I said with a smug grin plastered on my face.

"As I said, Anthony has plans for you. I'm not second best." I saw it then. She didn't have any feelings for Anthony, and as far as I had analyzed the man, the feeling was mutual.

Victoria wanted to be the best. Not the boss, but the only woman in his life. This argument was just a reaction to her sour case of marking territory and not the story of her unrequited love.

_Thank God for small miracles! If she had been in love with Anthony, it would have seriously complicated matters, not that I would have cared much to get her out of my way, but she would've been harder to remove. _

She doesn't love him. That's good.

"Where is he?" He's taken the refusal well, and had moved on to Victoria, but why did he leave her? Did he get bored that soon? I hoped not.

"Off to an important meeting," she said with a sigh. Her disappointment was clear. She must've thought she was getting some tonight, but unfortunately for her, he'd left her hanging. "Stop analyzing me, kid."

"I'm not." It was her time to raise a brow. "Take your leave from Anthony before you hit the road," she said in a grave voice and then left me alone.

Rob was silently working behind the bar and trying to avoid my eyes.

"Sorry for that," I apologized and then got on my feet and looked up to the room we were previously sitting in. I could see the shadows of people who were walking across the room every now and them.

I sighed to myself and half-heartedly went up the stairs to where the meeting was being held. A bouncer like man stood outside the closed doors of the room and stared at me blankly as I reached them.

"Anthony Masen," I said in a gruff voice, but he didn't react. I was going to turn burst into the room when I heard Anthony's angry voice.

"You'd better have a good reason to be here; I don't like to be interrupted when I'm not working." There was something dangerous about his tone that made me shiver.

"I know what you're playing at. You knew Demetri was a fucking rat, yet you entertained him and let him believe that he was succeeding," the other man said.

"Get out of my business or I'll ruin you," Anthony hissed.

"Fuck you, Anthony. You might have grown up, but you still can't beat me!"

"Try me," were his final words and then everything fell silent.

I opened the door and saw Anthony staring directly at me, there was a man across the room with his back to me. I stared at the man long enough to see his black hair and the slivers of gray in them. He wore a blue suit which he was straightening.

I turned back to Anthony who was glaring at me with his jaws clenched.

"What?" he snapped. I tried not to roll my eyes. Either he was irritated that I'd interrupted or he was angry that I'd left him on the dance floor alone.

"I'm leaving," I bit back.

"Good. Be at the mansion by nine tomorrow." I nodded and turned to close the door. "Don't be late," I turned around, stared at him for a moment and then sighed.

"Yes, boss."

"Now go." And that was the end of it. Whatever connection I'd felt towards him didn't vanish, but my unadulterated hate was in place and in action.

_I hate him!_

* * *

_So? What did you think? Do you think that Bella should have gone with the flow and kissed the man? What do you think about Victoria? _

_I would love to read your theories! :D_

_Till next time,_

_Sand._


	7. Windfall

**Hey guys! I know... You all are mad at me because I take so much time to write and update. I'm really sorry for that. I do try, but RL sucks and Anthony doesn't cooperate most of the times... He's a mean roomie, but he endures my panic attacks and hormonal speeches, so I let him get by. **

**Here is the next chapter. Hope some things get cleared out. *chuckles***

**Shasta53... a lifesaver. Without her this story would be worse than trash. :) **

**Race you to the end? :D**

* * *

**The Dangerous Corner**

* * *

**Windfall**

The only sound that echoed in the alley was that of my clicking heels. I slid the jacket on and buttoned it. It was getting cold outside and my legs were freezing. If for the jacket, I would've returned to the club where it was heated.

As I approached my car, I heard a soft sigh from somewhere beside me. I squinted in the darkness and saw a shadow there. Realizing that it was just a kid, I relaxed a little.

"Is there something you want?" I called out into the darkness. I heard a boyish laugh directed at me and gritted my teeth in frustration.

"Bella, right?" I saw him as he stepped out of the darkness. He was wearing what seemed like a protective suit. He was covered from head to toe, all except his face. He blew out a shuddering breath and stuck his hand out towards me.

"Seth," he told me, grinning.

"I know. I saw you at the meeting, remember?"I grasped his hand and shook it roughly.

"So, what are you doing all alone in the middle of the night?" I asked, just to make conversation. I was not in a mood to freeze in the cold today, but I had to do my job. _Keep the kid happy, _I thought. He'll help me get into the gang smoothly.

"Waiting for a cab," he grumbled. I couldn't help but chuckle. Anthony left his precious little hacker to fend for himself in these streets at night?

"You won't get a cab here. Do you have a cell -phone?" He shook his head. I sighed, wondering what teenager didn't carry a cell -phone these days. "Where is Anthony?" He shrugged. I sighed again.

"Get in the car," I said, irritated with Anthony and the boy. How could Anthony leave a teenager alone so late at night?

He stared at me for a few moments and then blinked twice, realizing my words.

"Get in the car!" I shouted exasperated. He jumped , coming back to his senses and fumbled towards the passenger's side. I shook my head as I got in the car and put on the heater.

Seth was sitting silently, positioning himself as far as he could from me and looking outside the window. I could feel the smile spreading across my face as I saw him shift uncomfortably.

I turned to face him.

"Where do you live?" I asked him. He gulped, turning towards me at last. He rattled off the address which I put in on my GPS and realized that he lived fifteen minutes away from my place.

"Put on your seatbelt," I ordered. He hastily put it on, grumbling something about mobsters and safety. I rolled my eyes at him and drove off. The first few minutes of the ride were silent. I could hear his nervous fidgeting. I could feel his eyes roaming over my face as I concentrated on the road.

"You're pretty," he announced suddenly, surprising me. I hadn't expected him to be bold enough to say that.

"I know." I tried to smile at him.

"I know that you know. How old are you?" he asked curiously.

"Twenty-two. Why?" I turned to stare at him suspiciously. He gulped and looked away.

"You're twelve years younger than Anthony . . . That is just weird." His face scrunched up in disdain. I raised a brow at him, and he chuckled.

"Everyone saw the little show today. One would have to be blind to miss that!" He snorted. "Anyway, you're the first person who has turned him down. It was fun." He smiled, going back to staring out of the window.

At first I'd thought that he was scared of me. He fidgeted and shifted his weight ever so often, but then I looked back and reflected on how he behaved. He wasn't sure whether to trust me or not. He was probably a good kid Anthony was taking advantage of.

_But what good kid robs a bank?_ my mind screamed.

"What do your parents think about you being out so late with a bunch of gangsters?" I asked.

"Hah! They don't know," he said. He snorted after that, shaking his head repeatedly. "I sneak out a lot." He turned to smile smugly at me. I grinned back at him.

"That sounds cool. How do you manage that?" He shrugged.

"You just sneak out?" He nodded. "Just like that?" I pressed.

He shook in silent laughter.

"My parents are a little clueless when it comes to me." His face morphed into a frown. He looked as if he'd tasted something bad.

He said no more and the silence filled the car.

"I was adopted when I was a few weeks old," he said, finally breaking the silence. I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. I didn't understand why he was telling me this. "I don't know who my real parents are . . ." he trailed off. I shook my head and reached out for the radio.

I didn't want to have a discussion about parents right now.

"Don't!" He surprised me. I pulled my hand back.

"What about your parents?" My jaws tightened as he asked. I knew it would come to this. I pressed my lips together, trying not to say something rude, and ignored him. "You didn't answer me. Do they know that you're working for a mob now?" he chuckled.

"I don't know." In simpler words, _fuck off._

"C'mon, I don't like one sided conversations! Tell me about your parents, please." I turned to glare at him. _Little brat!_

"They passed away," I replied coldly, hoping he'd shut up. I could feel his stare, but didn't reprimand him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I nodded, wondering how being sorry would help me forget that I don't have anyone on this planet to fall back on.

"You still didn't tell me how you snuck out." I tried to change the topic.

"My dad doesn't stay with us; he's a busy man . . . So I live with mom." He shrugged. "She's drunk half the time, so she's rarely sober enough to know what I'm up to."

"Does your dad know this?" He nodded. "He still leaves you behind?"

"He's working. He pays the bills and the school fees . . . He's usually too busy to call." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You go to school?" He shook his head.

"Then why does he pay the fee?" I grimaced.

"Those are my savings." He smiled a little. "The money never reaches the school. The school I supposedly study in hasn't got me enrolled. I've been hacking into his accounts and putting the money for the fees in my bank account every month for the past two or three years."

"And he hasn't got a clue about this?" He shook his head.

"All monetary transactions from his account are handled by an employee of his," he said as he rolled his eyes. "He's too easy to fool."

"That's not possible . . . What about parent/teacher meetings and stuff?"

"He doesn't care about those." He smiled.

"What about when he finds out that you're cheating him?" I asked, worried.

"I'll run." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing of importance.

"You should be in school, studying, having a nice childhood." All my anger was directed towards Anthony.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't blame Anthony. He's a cool guy. He helps me out all the time with the family stuff. He asked me to stay with my mom and help her get better." Surprised, I turned to him. He had an amused smile on his face.

"You didn't think he'd just use me, did you?" I shook my head, not believing a word he said. "He pays me a handsome amount of money; he encourages me to study when I'm not working."

"And he buys you toys?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes," he said, chuckling under his breath. "You'll see tomorrow. My toys are some of the best." He winked at me. I stopped the car.

We'd reached his place. He took off the seatbelt and opened the door. "See you tomorrow." I nodded.

He shut the door the car with a thud and walked away.

As I drove towards my apartment, my phone started ringing. I picked it up. "Isabella, I found out about Jasper," Rosalie blurted out.

"Great," I said, excited.

"But you need to come to headquarters. I needed to get the Chief's permission to get the information. You owe me," she hissed.

"Now?"

"Yes," she replied, obviously pissed off.

"It's two-thirty in the morning!"

"And the Chief wants you here." She hung up, leaving no room for discussion.

That was one of the many hazards of being a secret agent. The Chief could call you at any time he wanted, and the work of the criminals had to be monitored all day. You barely got any sleep, and people were always ready to kill you. When tired, you were weaker than usual and hence an easy target.

And the best part about it was you could never complain. The moment you started complaining, they would kick you out of the project and give it to one of your masochist of your colleagues. That's how it worked in the badass world.

The unofficial motto of the organization was '_no complaints, no demands'. _

Now that I thought about it, the organization was very much like a mob family. We killed criminals, a lot of them. We destroyed their lives and gained a lot from it, and we took large sums of money to get the job done. We were loyal to the organization, yet there were people who would rat us out. And the mob families were the same! They killed people, criminals and civilians. They destroyed people's lives at a whim; they gained from massacring people's lives. They got paid handsomely to get their work done. They were loyal to their boss, and obviously, they had spies all over the place. And they, too killed the spies painfully.

The only difference was, we were criminals who killed criminals.

The main office was still full of people who rushed in and out. Some of them greeted me, and moved out. I silently nodded at people who acknowledged me and went straight to the Chief's room.

"It's three in the morning, Rosalie! This better be good, or I'm going to strangle you," I huffed. The Chief was not present in the room. I could see Rosalie sitting on the couch across the room, her laptop on her lap as she typed.

"You need to see this." She smiled, brightly. I scurried off towards her and plopped down on the couch. She turned the laptop towards me and pointed at something.

"What is this?" I asked her, not getting the big deal about a fully blue screen flashing three starred words.

"This, dear Isabella, is the password for all the records of the organization, even the high security ones." She gave me a pointed look.

"Jasper?" I smiled, realizing what she meant. "How did you get it? The password, I mean." She rolled her eyes.

"It took hours to figure out the password. I called the Chief, and he was genuinely proud, so he let me go through Jasper's records and gave me access to every small bit of information on the database." She looked like a girl who'd been handed a lollipop. I rolled my eyes at her.

"He just gave it to you without a fight?" I couldn't believe it. She shook her head.

"Not without a fight," she sighed. "I _think _he gave me access to everything." She started typing furiously, "But I'm not sure if he's going to change everything again." She gritted her teeth as she concentrated on something.

"They change the password every week. Basically, in about two days, you're going to be back to square one. You better give me all the information fast. The chief might limit your access any moment." I was sure of it. The Chief would never jeopardize the safety of the agents like this. On a mission, yes, but when they were not doing anything, he would protect them at all costs.

She took in a deep breath and looked at me.

"Jasper joined the organization when he was sixteen." I nodded, gesturing her to continue. "He started his field work when he was seventeen and continued till he was twenty one. He took up the job of training agents after that, and continued till he was twenty three. He voluntarily retired from his position because of some personal matters." I raised a brow, in need of more information.

"There is no more," she whispered.

"Nothing?" She shook her head. "Give me a picture!" I asked, exasperated. Her face scrunched up. "It's not there?"

"Seriously? I thought I had access to everything!" She shouted.

"His identity is something that can't be revealed to anyone." Both of us jumped as we heard the Chief's voice. He had a frown on his face as he walked over to his desk and sat down. He gave us disapproving looks as we stood up and greeted him.

"Rosalie, as happy as I am that you could hack into the high security database I'm disappointed that it came down to this. You exploited your liberties." He didn't even look at me as he spoke. I was in for another lecture. _Shit. _

"But, si-" Chief cut her off.

"I don't want to listen to any of your explanations. I had told you that Jasper is none of your concern, but you kept investigating about him." He shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed to do this. You are excellent at your work, but what you did today could easily be portrayed as disloyalty." Rosalie's head was bowed as she took in his reprimands. It was like she was being scolded by the principal of her school. "I hope that this will not happen in the future," he said with a stern look, clearly ending the conversation. "You may leave now." The two of us turned around to leave.

"Not you, Isabella." I heard the Chief say, and stopped walking. I turned back, knowing full well that I would get a fair share of scolding.

Rosalie gave me a reassuring smile and hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with the Chief . . . the very angry chief.

The Chief had been like a father figure for me. He had taught me everything I knew and treated me like his own daughter. He filled the role of Charlie perfectly for all these years. He'd never left me a reason to be dissatisfied, but when he was angry or disappointed he wasn't exactly the person you'd want your father to be. He'd been sweeter to me, but with Jacob he was an unstoppable force. Billy was not only a man of many skills, but a man who could scare anyone when he meant to.

"Isabella, I'm sure you're doing a great job, but please don't forget that I want to no harm to come to you. The fact that you felt the need to snoop around without prior permission is insulting. Jasper is none of your concern. If he had been, then I would have informed you!" His voice was raised.

"He sent me a package which I felt was threatening." I tried to justify, failing miserably. He raised an eyebrow as if to question my sanity.

"Did he send you a bomb?" I shook my head. "Did he tell you that he was out for blood?" I shook my head.

"Then what?" His voice grew harsh.

"His note was in riddles, and he spoke as if he knew a lot." That was all I could say.

"Jasper has always been a complex man. I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm. If you want to know something, contact me." He pursed his lips. "Anything else?"

The thought suddenly came to my mind.

"Chief, you always told me to follow my instincts." He nodded, giving me courage to go on. "I don't think Anthony killed my mother." His eyes narrowed.

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" he roared. I would have been scared if I hadn't expected that reaction. "HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT?" I stared into his eyes.

"There's something about him . . . My gut tells me that he's not my mother's murderer. I believe it." His eyes blazed with anger.

"That's all?"

"I need proof. I won't believe otherwise." I needed to know if I had been fed lies all these years. I needed to know if I had pointed in the wrong direction.

He banged his head on the desk as he stood up and stomped towards the hidden vault right beside the room, which was always hidden by the door. I knew because I had seen him open it too many times. The man trusted me.

He pulled out a file and walked back to me.

"See the pictures . . ." he sneered as we waved the file in front of my face. "I saved everything because I thought that you'd want these, but I never thought you'd say _this_!" I took the file from his hands, leaving him to his fuming.

I opened the file, looking at a set of images, yet again.

_How many times will I have to endure this? _I thought to myself.

I inspected each image carefully, knowing full well how the story portrayed in the pictures would end.

The first was of my mother, facing away from the camera, but her posture told me that she was waiting for someone.

The second one showed a man behind her. His head was covered in a hat and he wore distressed jeans. The picture wasn't as clear as I would've wanted them to be, but they spoke volumes.

The next was of the man without the cap. His hair gave him away . . . It was Anthony standing with her. My mother had pulled out her gun and was pointing it at his chest.

My throat tightened as I wondered if I had been wrong.

The last image was that of Anthony . . . I gasped.

I could see him kneeling beside my mother's lifeless body, his back towards the camera. He held the knife in his hand and leaned over her body.

There was one where he was combing his hands through his hair.

He had pulled out his gun in another . . .

And at last, he rushed out.

I stood there frozen.

"Do you have something to say?" I could hear the anger in his voice, clearly.

"I don't believe these pictures . . . These can be lies!" I turned to him, refusing to go against my gut.

"Isabella, I know more than you ever will and believe me when I say that this is no lie. Anthony Masen killed your mother." He was so sure of himself that I could feel my thoughts waver. I was becoming weak.

"Isn't there a video footage of everything?" He shook his head. "That's impossible!"

"Isabella, Dorian Masen's security camera gave us this much to work on." He stared into my eyes and pleaded me to stop.

"Pictures lie."

"So do our instincts . . ." We stared at each other for a minute and then I sighed.

"I won't believe these," I was fighting a losing battle.

"There was no one else in there, Bella . . ." His voice broke. "You are dismissed. Go do your job."

I left silently, not looking back till I was inside the car.

My mind was filled with questions. All I could think about was if my gut had been wrong and Anthony had truly killed my mother.

_Why am I even siding with the criminal? _I thought to myself.

The clock on the dashboard said it was five in the morning. I had been in there for over two hours, obsessing over the idea that Anthony was innocent.

_Was he innocent?_

_Are the pictures lying?_

_Was Chief correct?_

_Anthony . . . He's everything that is wrong in my life!_

I didn't realize till I found myself parked in front of Anthony's mansion that I had driven to his place. It fifteen minutes until six, and I had been ordered to be present by nine. Now that I was here, I would wake the bloody man up from his beauty sleep and ask him for a place to crash.

_At least he won't be able to accuse me of being late. _

I pulled out my cell -phone from my purse and dialed his number. He picked up after what seemed like an eternity.

"Hello?" he replied, groggily. I help back a laugh, amused that for the first time he'd greeted someone over the phone.

"It's Isabella. I need a place to crash . . ."

"And you're calling me this early because?"

"I'm standing outside your place." He growled.

"Leave and come back when you were asked to," he hissed.

"I won't."

"Then sleep in your damn car!" He hung up.

_The fucking bastard hung up on me!_

I marched right up to the mansion, picked the lock and walked in. There were no security guards to stop me. I searched for his room on the second floor and opened the door loudly.

He sat up abruptly, his hand gripping his gun.

He took in my appearance and narrowed my eyes.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he shouted.

"I'm here, so give me a place to crash." His eyes were instantly sparkling.

"You can sleep right here if you want to." I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot. "Don't act cute with me," he chuckled.

I gave him a pointed look, and he winked at me in return.

"I'll get you for pulling away . . ." he threatened in a low voice. I shrugged, knowing well that I would find a way to reject him again.

"I get what I want, Isabella. Always remember that." I silently took in his words and gulped.

"First floor . . . The guest bedroom is empty," he finally said. His words kept replaying in my mind.

_He always gets what he wants . . . he can do anything to get it. _

And slowly, I could feel my neutrality slipping. What if he did kill my mother?

* * *

**A/N: That was all for now! I'm halfway done with the next chapter, so that's good news. Bad news is I have caught a bad case of writers block. I'll be back. It'll take some time, but I'll be back. I know most readers are abandoning the story because it's so confusing and Anthony is a total jackass, and I can't make them stay, forcefully. But if you are staying... THANK YOU. It means a lot. The people in this fandom keep me sane. **

**As you may already know, TDC hit 100 reviews! So give yourselves a HUGE round of applause! :D  
**

**Till next time...**

**Sand.**


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